Transformers: Faces Of Darkness
by KiloWhiskeyOscar
Summary: With Unicron defeated and Cybertron reclaimed, the Autobots and their new leader Rodimus Prime march forward to a new era of peace. But they soon find themselves targets of Alpha Q and the Quintessons, who hold a dark truth of the Transformers origins. And, the Decepticons search for their lost leader Galvatron, whose own rule is challenged by the treacherous Skyquake.
1. Prologue & Galactic Olympics

Disclaimer: Guess who's back! After a much need break, and given the success of Transformers: Til All Are One, I've decided to do sequel focusing on the Five Faces of Darkness storyline. And, I'm doing it my way, so expect to see some new faces. Pun intended. I don't own Transformers, by the way.

* * *

><p><em>Prologue<em>

_On a day unlike any other, a great and terrifying darkness falls upon my home planet of Cybertron. My race, my brothers, the Autobots who have fought for freedom, and the Decepticons who have dreamed of tyranny, have set aside their differences to face common threat. They face the dark, godlike entity known as Unicron. They fight as one with a fury unlike which the universe has never known. They fight even though it could be a losing battle. From another plain of existence, I watch. I am powerless to help my brothers, for I myself have fallen in battle and become one with my maker, Primus. Yet I hold out hope that the Chosen One, chosen by the Matrix of Leadership, will rise to light our darkest hour._

_Then, as though my own prayers are answered, I face my successor. He is young and reckless, but courageous and devoted. He is greeted by the past keeper of the Matrix. One tells him they've waited for him. Another says he has fought with courage and honor. They are the hallmarks of a leader, another says. I step forward and tell my successor it is his time to open the Matrix; to lead our race; to light our darkest hour. I address him by his name: Rodimus Prime. He recognizes my voice and calls out to me…_

_"Optimus!"_

_Reborn, remade, my successor faces down a powerful Decepticon, one whom I've faced so many eons ago in another life. Then he opens the Matrix, lighting our darkest hour as foretold. The light begins to tear Unicron apart. Rodimus continues to fight the Decepticon before, in perhaps a form of irony, he tries to save him from impending death. The Decepticon refuses, allowing himself to plunge to an uncertain fate. Undeterred, Rodimus must focus on locating those who came with him. He searches for them swiftly but calmly, ignoring the increasing hostility of a rapidly deteriorating environment._

_He finds them and leads them to salvation as Unicron succumbs to the light. Following this momentous victory, over both Unicron and the Decepticons, Rodimus and his Autobots prepare to launch a great monument; a mausoleum containing the bodies of those lost in the war. I am among those brave warriors who gave their lives to safeguard freedom. I listen as Rodimus addresses the Autobots…_  
><em><br>"As of this day, this one moment, we mark the end of Great Cybertronian War. On this day, we march forward to a new Golden Age; one of peace, freedom, justice and happiness. But let us never forget those who gave their lives for this moment. Courageous and noble to the very end, they lived as warriors and died as heroes. Let their Sparks join our maker Primus; the Greatest of Cybertron."_

_Even in death, I am filled with pride at these words. It appears beyond doubt that the Matrix of Leadership, the last essence of Primus himself, chose well. I have never been more proud. Yet, even though Unicron is no longer a threat, I know that the Decepticons are still out there. They are routed, their numbers dwindle and their leader is missing. But they are no less a threat, albeit a diminished one. They fight not against the Autobots, but amongst themselves for the scarce supply of energon they have retained. It is an uncertain future they face now._

_They know not the whereabouts of their lost leader, Galvatron. They know not his ultimate fate._

_They know not that even as I speak, Galvatron tumbles uncontrollably through empty space. He is unconscious as he drifts toward a volcanic world, plunging into a pool of molten rock. Our bodies are capable of withstanding such searing heat. Beneath the magma, Galvatron stirs. He rises briefly._

_"I still function." He says._

_Then he returns to his plasma bath, waiting for rescue; waiting for his revenge against those who have wronged him. I know him better than anyone, for he once my greatest enemy. To think, gravely and in an odd way, we could have been brothers. Perhaps, there is still hope for lasting peace between the Autobots and the Decepticons._

_The chances are slim at best. Yet even in this afterlife, I hold out that hope. Cybertron is free at last, the Autobots have returned home. Above the surface of the planet, the head of Unicron becomes the planet's satellite, a grin reminder of the moons destroyed by Unicron himself. Cruel irony or poetic justice? I do not know. All is well in the universe now; or so it is to be believed._

_Somewhere in the universe, another force waits in the shadows. They are mysterious, manipulative and cruel. They delight in torture and execution. These creatures of many faces watch us, study us. They know far more about us than we can fathom. When the time comes, and it will come, the Cybertronian race must face its past. For only from learning from the past can we face a dark future, and young Rodimus Prime will face the first great challenge in his leadership. I pray he is up to the task. I pray for all Cybertronians. The worst is yet to come…_

* * *

><p>TRANSFORMERS<br>FACES OF DARKNESS

Chapter I

Location: Planet Chaar

"Blast Off, aren't we there yet?"

"Do not test me, Swindle. You and I were barely able to secure fraction of the energon cubes from our stockpile. Do not make me jettison them… and you."

The Combaticons Swindle and Blast Off had been bickering back and forth for cycles on route to the barren planet Chaar, where the severely dwindled Decepticons were trying to survive.

"You know, we could make our fellow cons pay us for the cubes." Swindle said, tapping his finger on one of the five energon cubes he and Blast Off had.

"Is currency all you consider," Blast Off chastised his fellow Combaticon. "Does the need to make a profit supersede the needs of the Decepticons as a whole."

"Yep."

"You self-serving malcontent. You…" Blast Off stopped when he took notices of his surroundings. "Swindle, I've good news and bad news."

"What?"

"The good news is that we've reached Chaar."

"And the bad news?" Swindle asked.

Before Swindle knew it, Blast Off, who happened to be in his shuttle mode, opened a side hatch and tilted. The momentum carried Swindle and the energon cubes out of the shuttle and sent them tumbling down to the surface of Chaar. Swindle slammed into the bedrock, the cubes in turn falling on top of him one after another. Blast Off swooped in and assumed proto form, but do to his own lack of energon, his thrusters shut down. Unable to control his forward movement, Blast Off crashed into Swindle, knocking them to the ground and throwing the cubes into the air. Before one of them returned to the ground, Laserbeak swooped in to catch it and flew off. His attempt to escape was met resistance from below. Scavenger managed to blast the spy bird and force him to drop the cube. Before the Constructicon could grab it, the Stunticon Drag Strip tackled him, allowing Motor Master to go for the cube.

"This one's mine and no one else's."

Before Motor Master could react, he was blasted by Onslaught of the Combaticons. "Actually, it is mine."

Motor Master, sturdy as he was, didn't take kindly to Onslaught ambush and tackled him to the ground. As they fought over just one cube, several other severely depowered Decepticons fought over the remaining cubes. The battle royal that ensued featured mainly the three combiner teams, who even fought amongst themselves for the minimal scraps of energon. There were also a few drones who had survived Unicron's attack on Cybertron. Amid the chaos, Laserbeak and Ratbat swiped two of the five cubes. They delivered the cubes to Soundwave before returning into his tape deck. He wasn't alone; with Galvatron missing, presumed dead, Cyclonus had taken up the mantle of command seconded by Scourge. They had formed a small inner circle consisting of themselves, Soundwave, Blitzwing and a Decepticon female by the name of Fracture. Watching the Decepticons beat the living hell out of each other over the minimal scraps of energon angered Cyclonus, although he never showed it. Scourge was another story.

"Look at them; look at how far the Decepticons have since fallen the loss of Galvatron. It's… it's… inconceivable," Scourge sneered at the sight of the Constructicons attempting to form into Devastator… and failing when one of his arms fell off. "Pathetic."

"Yeah, and I guess we had it easier fighting off Unicron, right Scourge," Blitzwing sarcastically said. "A couple hundred Decepticons up against really big, really pissed giant planet eater; yeah, that was fun."

"Don't try my patience, Blitzwing."

"Or what, you gonna stare me offline?"

Scourge lunged at the loud mouthed Triple Changer and grabbed him by the throat. "I should just choke the life out of you."

"Enough," Cyclonus stormed onto the scene, prompting Scourge to release his death grip on Blitzwing. "You both waste your energies bickering like Hatchlings. Even though Blitzwing  
>deserves what you intended…"<p>

"Oh no, Cyclonus. I'm not wasting my time trying to fix Blitzwing," said the Decepticon Fracture, who happened to be a medic, and not a very good one. "I've already got my hands full trying repairing this idiot."

"Who're you calling an idiot, Fracture," Fracture's patient, much to Scourge's personal chagrin, was Barricade. He was battered and leaking fluid all over himself, was missing his right optic and left arm, and his survival after the collapse of the late Shockwave's lab bemused Scourge. "I did something the other Cons couldn't do… I survived. You know why?"

"Because you're an idiot?" Fracture said while trying to reattach Barricade's arm.

"Because I'm a survivor!" As Barricade spoke, his arm promptly (and comically) fell off.

"And yet, you're still an idiot." Scourge said.

Ignoring the surly devil-bot, Barricade looked at Fracture. Fracture just glared back. "What are you looking at?" she asked.

"You know, even though I'm blind in one optic, you're actually kind of good looking." said Barricade He screeched as Fracture forced his arm into place. "OWWWWW!"

Scourge simply mused, "Idiot," before joining Cyclonus and Soundwave in watching the Decepticon scuffle. "Look at how far our ranks have fallen, Cyclonus. You had said the Decepticons would rise again, yet you have failed to formulate a plan."

"We will unleash the Decepticon's secret weapon, use it to strike back at the Autobots and retake Cybertron." Cyclonus said.

"Wait, we had a secret weapon and we didn't use it against Unicron," Barricade said. "Must be some secret."

At this point Soundwave, who had remained stoic for who knew how long, said in his usual monotonic manner, "The Decepticon's secret weapon is located beneath the surface of Kaon. It is highly plausible that the battle against Unicron has awakened it from its slumber."

"Then we go to Cybertron." Cyclonus said.

"Cybertron is under Autobot control now. They'll knock us out of the sky if we get too close." Scourge said.

Cyclonus was undeterred at this. "Then we'll fly silent."

* * *

><p>Far beneath the surface of the Transformer's home planet of Cybertron rested a relic from the Great War. A holdover. Once it served as a sort of space station commanded by the Seeker and used for research, before the twisted machinations of Shockwave. Through his brand of scientific endeavor, the station was given consciousness and became a creature of pure animalistic aggression. Optimus Prime himself had dealt with the monster and was able to defeat him, but barely. Since then, the monster laid dormant, until recent events stirred it from its slumber. Its face was nothing like those of a normal Cybertronian, if one could be considered as such. No, it was larger, longer and more akin to a reptile. Its optics emitted a yellow light and it let out a harrowing growl.<p>

"I awaken…"

* * *

><p>Much had changed since the battle for Cybertron. With the final defeat of the Chaos Bringer known as Unicron, the Autobots had succeeded in retaking their home planet from the Decepticons. But with the loss of Optimus Prime, a new leader stepped forward to fill the void left by the valiant hero. That leader was Rodimus Prime, who used the power of the Matrix of Leadership to finally destroy Unicron. With this monumental victory, the Autobots had finally returned home. So what better way to celebrate? On a far flung world called Athenia, the first ever Galactic Olympics were about to commence in earnest. Alien species from countless worlds converged to participate as Ultra Magnus appeared at the main podium.<p>

"Welcome all to the first ever Galactic Olympics. May today's games usher in a new age of peace and cooperation in the galaxy."

The gathered crowd and various participants let a collective cheer as Rodimus Prime appeared, a smile on his face. With his arm raised up high, Rodimus declared, "Let's do it!" And to punctuate, seven airborne flyers, the Aerielbots, Breakaway and Tempest flew overhead, leaving contrails in their wake.

"Didn't you want to say something about concord and tranquility in the galaxy?" Ultra Magnus asked.

Rodimus glared at his new Second-in-Command and frowned. "Gimme a break, okay? It's my first time," Then, clearing his throat, Rodimus declared loudly, "Start the games."

From there, the Galactic Olympics commenced. Throughout the event, countless games took place where various winners were announced. Eventually, there came a race between several Autobots and members of a team from the Orgenon Cluster. It came down to Jazz and an athlete by the name of Munka Spanka. They were neck and neck as the crossed the finish line, but it was too close to call who one. Rodimus and the other Autobots, including Springer, Breakaway and Tempest, were watching the events unfold with interest.

"Damn, it's too close to call." Springer said.

"I hope Jazz won. I had credits on him." Breakaway said.

"Why aren't you in these games, Breakaway," Tempest asked. "You're not scared, are you?"

"Are you questioning my extremely macho quotas?"

Before Tempest could answer, Springer said, "He'd probably cheat on every one of those games, Tempest."

Breakaway turned sharply to face Springer. "Really, like you're any better."

"That a challenge, Springer?"

Rodimus stepped between them at that point. "Easy guys. Street fights aren't part of the games."

Spike Witwicky appeared before Springer and Breakaway came to blows. "Hey Rodimus, Kup and Elita One just established contact with Blur and Wheelie. Their on route to Autobot City with that new conversion cog."

"I'm on my way. Tempest, keep these guys from pounding each other." Rodimus followed Spike to the communications room.

Tempest was pouting as Springer and Breakaway stared each other down. "Sure; leave me with the tough job."

* * *

><p><em>"This-isn't-fair-this-isn't-fair. I-should-be-competing-in-the-games. I-could-be-winning-the-games. This-isn't-fair-no-not-at-all."<br>_  
>Elita One had her hands press again either side of her head in a vain attempt to avoid hearing Blur's whining. "You're frequent complaining isn't really helping your case, Blur."<br>_  
>"I agree with Blur, he'd win the race, instead we're stuck in space."<em>said the oft rhyming Wheelie.

"Not you too, Wheelie." Elita griped.

"Now you know how I feel, lass." said Kup.

Rodimus Prime arrived in the communications room amid the banter. "Did I miss anything?"

"Not at all," Elita said. "You're just in time for more of Blur's whining."

"Blur, it's Rodimus…"  
><em><br>"Rodimus-you-got-me-off-world-playing-delivery-boy-when-I-could-racing-like-no-tomorrow. I-wanna-race-I-wanna-race-I-wanna-race."_Blur chattered nonstop.

Wheelie chimed in his own complaints. _"Wheelie wanna race too, wanna show what I can do."  
><em>  
>"Blur, Wheelie, I'm pretty sure we discussed the importance of your assignment," said Rodimus in a calm tone. "The original conversion cog was destroyed in the attack on Autobot City. You're a courier, Blur; which means you're perfectly qualified for the job and you can get it done fast."<br>_  
>"I'm-a-data-courier. This-cog-isn't-data. I'm-forming-a-protest-when-Wheelie-and-I get-back-to Earth."<em>Blur rambled on and on.

"Oops… sorry, Blur. We're' losing you." Rodimus cut the transmission with a wicked smirk.

"Now that was just mean, Rodimus." Elita joked.

"He'll get over it." Rodimus assured Elita.

"Picking up another transmission, coming from Earth," said Kup. "Ah, it's from our new friend from Earth Defense Command."

Ultra Magnus had only just arrived when Kup informed Rodimus of it "Patch it through, Kup." He said.

"Earth Defense Command?" said Rodimus.

"A joint Human-Autobot space venture established five stellar cycles ago. You were still… well, you know," Ultra Magnus explained. "The director wanted to speak to Optimus Prime's successor."

"Hmm, can't wait to meet him," Rodimus then had to correct himself when a woman in her late 20's with long brown hair appeared on the screen. "Make that 'her'."  
><em><br>"This is EDC Director Marissa Faireborn, over?"_

"Director Faireborn, this Rodimus Prime. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."  
><em><br>"Likewise, Rodimus. Ultra Magnus told me quite about it,"_ said Director Fairborne. _"I'd like to first convey my condolence for the recent passing of Optimus Prime. The Autobots lost a great leader, and Earth has lost a great champion."_

"The loss of Optimus has hit us hard, but I thank you for your condolences," Rodimus said in a slightly somber tone. "So, what can we do for you, Director?"  
><em><br>"Please, Rodimus; 'Marissa' is fine. No need for formalities. I'm actually taking the chance to tour your city her on Earth. It's quite the accomplishment,"_ Marissa exclaimed. _"Although, it could use a name change."_

"And what would you recommend, Marissa?" Ultra Magnus lightheartedly asked.  
><em><br>"Don't know; maybe something with 'metro' in the title."_Marissa joked.

Rodimus and Magnus couldn't help to chuckle a bit. "We'll work on it." said Rodimus.

Magnus leaned forward and asked, "How are the Wreckers treating you, Marissa?" He noticed a surprised glanced from Rodimus, even a whisper of one of the words.  
><em><br>"They have their moments."_Marissa stated.

"Wait, THE Wreckers," Rodimus said. "The commando unit from Velocitron?"

"And, from at least one from Gigantion. They're more than a simply commando unit," Ultra Magnus stated. "I put in request for them to help with the repair back on Autobot City."

"You've been holding out on me, Magnus," Rodimus joked. A sudden rumble caught the Autobots off guard. "What was that?"

"I've got no idea, Rodimus." said Kup.  
><em><br>"Rodimus, Magnus, is everything alright up there?"_Marissa asked.

"By Primus…" said a shocked Elita One. "…Guys, look at this."

A video feed cut in showing the giant torch, the symbol for Galactic Olympics, exploding into flames. "Marissa, we'll have to get back to you." said Ultra Magnus.

* * *

><p>The Galactic Olympics should have been a time for peace. Now it became a chaotic scene. Spectators for the event ran in droves from the sight of the torch bursting into uncontrollable flames. The Autobots that were present, Jazz, Tempest, Springer, Arcee and Breakaway, rushed to direct the spectators out of the area. The Aerialbots attempted to quell the flames as Rodimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, Kup and Elita One along with Spike arrived on the scene. Jazz, the first to notice their arrival, rushed to the group.<p>

"Jazz, what's going on?" Rodimus asked hastily.

"No idea, Rodimus. That torch just laid on the boom without warning." said Jazz.

"Is my family okay, Arcee?" Spike asked.

"Yes, Spike. Daniel and Carly are safe for now," Arcee said. "But Rodimus, we have to get these people to safety."

"Agreed," Rodimus turned to Ultra Magnus. "Magnus, take Breakaway, Elita and Kup. See if you can figure what caused the explosion and try to stem it. Jazz, Arcee, Springer and Tempest are with me. We need to make certain these people get out safely."

"I'm going with Magnus," Spike declared. "I might be able to help."

"It's too dangerous, Spike." Ultra Magnus explained.

"Hey, I survived a Moon Base getting ripped apart by Unicron. I can handle myself." Spike argued.

"Enough. We've got work to do, Autobots," said Rodimus Prime. "Get to it."

* * *

><p>Unbeknownst to the Autobots, others were watching from a far off world, laughing at them. "Everything is going according to plan." said a raspy voice.<p>

"They have no idea what awaits them." said a deep, growling voice.

"They know nothing about us…" said a more cheery voice.

"…But we know everything about them." A more meek voice said.

"It is time to reveal ourselves to the Transformers," said a fifth, final, and disturbingly malicious voice. "Their true masters shall rise again."

* * *

><p>Author's note: That settles the prologue and the first chapter. Note the first glimpse of Marissa Faireborn, and the first mention of the Wreckers (yes, I said the Wreckers, my version.) You'll get an official introduction when the time comes, but I let you in on a little secret; two familiar faces from Beast Wars are featured members; neither of them is Rattrap, so don't ask.<p>

Also, the character Fracture is a female Decepticon first introduced in the Transformers live-action comics. She's only the first new Transformer introduced Just leave a review.

Oh, and Barricade is still alive!


	2. Sabotage

Disclaimer: Here's chapter 2 of the story. Sorry, I don't have clever one-liners at the moment. I don't own Transformers either.

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><p>Chapter II<p>

Location: Athenia

In the ensuing carnage that fell on the Galactic Olympics, the Aerialbots flew overhead to assess the situation. It seemed somewhat contradictory for Silverbolt, given his fear of heights that he had to look down at the blazing inferno that was once the great torch. Down below, the rest of the Autobots had split into two teams, one led by Rodimus Prime, the other by Ultra Magnus. Rodimus was leading his team, Springer, Arcee, Tempest and Jazz, in escorting the gathered spectators away from the madness. Magnus and his group of Breakaway, Kup, Elita One and the human Spike rushed to assess what had caused the torch to blow. They couldn't do that amid the thick blanket of smoke, so it fell to the Aerialbots to remedy that.

"Look at that cloud," said Air Raid. "Sky Lynx couldn't fly through that."

"Now's not the time jokes, Air Raid," said Silverbolt. "We've got to drench those flames, give Magnus and his team a chance to shut down the torch."

"And how're we supposed to do that?" Fireflight asked.

"There's a riverbed not far from here," said Skydive. "We can load up of H2O and dump it on the torch."

"Through all of this, I'm starting to miss Inferno and Red Alert." said Slingshot.

"Cut the chatter. Slingshot, Fireflight, Skydive, you three head for that riverbed," Silverbolt said. "Air Raid, you and I will help Rodimus and the others. Move it!"

The Aerialbots broke off to carry out their assignments. While Slingshot, Fireflight and Skydive flew in their respective jet form toward the riverbed, Silverbolt and Air Raid assumed their proto form upon landing. The Autobots in Rodimus Prime's team directed the Olympic spectator toward a safe haven just several yards away. Rodimus himself was in truck form, ferrying several spectators away. Jazz and Springer did the same while Arcee and Tempest saw to the safely of the youngest ones. Even Carly and Daniel assisted in whatever way possible. The torch fire was steadily growing more intense to the point of Rodimus becoming concerned for Ultra Magnus and his team. He stayed in electronic contact; from what he was hearing, it wasn't good. Ultra Magnus assured Rodimus Prime that he could handle it.

* * *

><p>Yet, Ultra Magnus was starting to question his own assurance. The inner workings of the control station for the torch were a mess. His team, consisting of Kup, Elita One, Breakaway and Spike, had to fight their way through a maze of twisted metal and fire. Spike pondered what could possibly have caused the torch to blow up, ruling out the possibility of sabotage. He and Kup and Perceptor had designed the torch to be immune to tampering, so not even the Constructicons could sabotage it. Yet upon locating the power controls, Spike realized it was in fact sabotaged.<p>

"Talk to me, Spike." Ultra Magnus said.

"The power controls are a mess." said Spike.

"Can you fix it?" Elita One asked.

Spike took a step back from a minor short. "I can try. Kup, give me a hand."

"Help him, Kup," Ultra Magnus said. "Breakaway, Elita, help me get these flames under control."

"You know, I wouldn't put it passed the Dinobots if they caused this mess." Breakaway quipped.

"I don't think the Dinobots are that stupid." Kup said as he pushed passed Breakaway to help Spike.

Ultra Magnus, Elita One and Breakaway used the built-in fire retardant foam to try to fight the flames. As they did so, Kup and Spike tried to shut down the torch control system. The problem was, which Spike feared, the console itself was damaged somehow. It could be fixed in short order, but the flames were spreading. Smoke was building rapidly even as Magnus, Elita and Breakaway tried to fight the flames. None of them saw the shadow looming amid the smoke; not until it was right on top of Breakaway. With a heavy crash, Breakaway went down with a large, rotund mechanoid snapping at him with razor sharp teeth and a dorsal fin on its back. Elita was the first to react. She was in both shock and anger upon seeing the creature, knowing she'd seen it once before. Without hesitation, Elita switch to her blaster and fired at the creature. The shot tore into the creature's hide, ripping bits of metal from it. But it didn't move. Elita fired again, and this time the beast was rocked. It gave Breakaway the chance to get his own gun into position.

"Chew on this, sucker." He said and pulled the trigger, blowing the creature apart from the inside out.

"What in the Pit is going on?" Ultra Magnus demanded. His back was turned toward Elita and Breakaway.

"Behind you!" Elita shouted.

Magnus turned right around just in time to pivot left and allowing a similar creature to lunge by him. It ignored him and went straight for Kup and Spike, making the mistake of turning its back to Ultra Magnus. Quickly, Ultra Magnus blasted the creature in the back and blew it apart. Yet the creature, heavily damaged, continued to advance on Kup. Kup saw it coming, shooed Spike away and punched the beast in the face, shattering its maw. Breakaway finished it off with a straight shot to the shoulder.

"What is that thing?" Spike asked.

"That's a Sharkticon," Kup explained. "They usually hunt in packs."

"Which means there's more of them; stay alert." Elita said.

"I've got the suppressant system up and running." Spike said

"Spike, get between us." said Ultra Magnus.

Spike quickly got between his Autobots protectors, who all formed a parameter around him. They had their gun trained every which way with the chances high of more Sharkticons nearby. The problem was there was no telling from they'd be coming. So, none of the Autobots were aware of the three Sharkticons that were descending on them from above. Not until it was too late.

* * *

><p>Skydive, Fireflight and Slingshot returned from the riverbed and flew over the fire. From compartments in their underside, they dumped cascade of water over the fire. The effect would've been instantaneous, except that the water only partially quelled the flamed. More water was needed and the three Aerialbots knew it. If they tried to go back to the riverbed to refill and came back, the fire would've been too out of control to stop. But they weren't alone as a massive white Earth styled Space Shuttle flew overhead. Sky Lynx jetted above the inferno, opened an underside hatch and sent a hug cascade of water over the fire. This time, the water drenched the flames and after a few moments, the inferno finally subsided.<p>

"No need to thank me, chaps. All in a cycle's work when you name is Sky Lynx." Sky Lynx said with bravado.

"Modest much, Sky Lynx?" Slingshot asked.

"If you had my unlimited skill, you'd be a little modest." said Sky Lynx.

"Or arrogant." Skydive added.

Sky Lynx and the three Aerialbots went groundside, assuming their respective proto forms before meeting with Rodimus Prime and his team, Silverbolt and Air Raid among them. "Rodimus Prime, I thought you'd require my assistance."

"Yeah, nice to see you too, Sky Lynx," Rodimus quipped. "Is the fire under control?"

Sky Lynx was quick to fling his elongated neck to and fro. "You're not questioning my natural skill, are you Rodimus?"

"He was talking to us, genius." Fireflight snapped, earned a glare from Sky Lynx. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I steal your moment? Hey guys, I just stole his moment." he gloated, bringing snickers from Skydive and Air Raid.

"Cut it out, Fireflight." said Silverbolt.

"Lighten up, Silverbolt. I'm just messing with him."

Rodimus shook his head in annoyance by the time Jazz and the others arrived. "I thought Cliffjumper was a pain in the tailpipe." Jazz said.

"He still is," said Springer as he pushed by him to meet with Rodimus. He noticed the telling look in his face. "Rodimus, you okay?"

Rodimus looked at the recently shut down torch, the blow that billowed from it. "Something's not right."

Tempest and Arcee, with Carly and Daniel behind them, approached Rodimus. "What do you mean, Rodimus?" Arcee asked.

"I don't think this was just some random event." Rodimus Prime said.

"You never know. Maybe there was a glitch in the system," Jazz said. "Either that or the Dinobots took a bite out of it."

"Right, and Grimlock is a super genius," Springer joked. Rodimus didn't seem to hear either of them, and that worried Springer. "This wasn't random, was it?"

"More like suspicious," Rodimus said and spoke into a built-in communicator. "Rodimus to Ultra Magnus, do you read me," A pause came, but no answer; only static. "Ultra Magnus, are you there? Elita One, respond."

Of the other Autobots, Tempest became concerned and pressed two fingers to her head. "Breakaway, it's Tempest? Where are you," Tempest waited for a response, but there only static. "Breakaway?"

"Magnus," Rodimus called again. "Kup? Anybody," Still nothing, and Rodimus said, "Autobots, we have to get in there. Now."

Rodimus assumed vehicle form and raced off for the torch. Jazz followed as did Springer in racer form and Tempest in jet form. Arcee was the last to assume her alt form, allowing both Carly and Daniel to ride with her. The convoy of vehicles into the bunker in which the controls for the torch were located, where Ultra Magnus and his group were last scene. It should've been where they should've been still. There was some electronic chatter going on between the Autobots; speculation as to why Magnus and the others weren't responding. Jazz was suggesting a black out on their respective communicators. Tempest suggested the more harrowing theory that one or more of the missing Autobots were injured. Yet even she was hoping otherwise. Rodimus quelled the suggestions when he noticed that none of Magnus' group was present. He assumed proto form and surveyed the scene; as expected, the place was a mess. The other Autobots assumed their proto forms and looked around for anything amiss. Springer walked and must've tapped something on the floor and when he looked down, he found a rifle. He recognized it and picked it up. Tempest approached and she too recognized the weapon.

"That's Breakaway's rifle." she said in dread.

"Yeah, but where's Breakaway?" Springer rhetorically asked.

"The same place as everybody else," Rodimus said. "We just don't know where that is."

"Rodimus," said Carly. "My husband was with Magnus."

"We'll find him, Carly. You have my word." Rodimus assured Carly.

"Yo, think I got something here," Jazz called out. He was reaching into a small space. "C'mere you little…"

Jazz never had a chance to finish his sentence when he got a massive jolt and was thrown back. Out of the hole came an rotund organic that resembled a lizard, and he nailed Tempest with some sort of weapon. Tempest managed to dodge right but the organic anticipated and fired again. This time Tempest was struck dead on and she collapsed. The bore-like organic took off running without as much as a glance at the Autobots, who rushed to Jazz's side. His optics were flickering wildly and his body was almost convulsing, like he was in shock. He probably was since an electrical surge was arching all around him.

"Jazz, talk to me." Rodimus said. All he got from Jazz was a static scream.

It was the same thing when Springer was checking Tempest. "EM pulse," he deduced. "They're not going anywhere," Springer heard laughter up ahead, from the organic that attacked Jazz and Tempest. "I'm going after him." Springer took off fast.

"No, we have to stay together," Rodimus said, to which Springer paid no heed. "Damn it. Arcee, go with him."

"Got it. Daniel, Carly, you two stay with Rodimus." With that stern warning to the humans, Arcee raced after Springer.

* * *

><p>Springer was catching up to the intruder just before it slipped into the next corridor. He recognized the species of the intruder; a Skuxxoid, reptile-like humanoid aliens that have acted as mercenaries for the highest bidder. Arcee managed to catch up with Springer as the Skuxxoid managed to get outside. A ship was waiting just a few yards away, so the Skuxxoid made a break for it. Arcee and Springer were right behind him, guns trained on the alien. They fired some warning shots to try to slow the Skuxxoid down, but he returned fire with the EMP gun he uses on Jazz and Tempest. Springer and Arcee rolled to either side and Springer quickly assumed helicopter form and took to the air. The Skuxxoid reached his ship and fired more EM pulses at Springer, missing him. Then he fired at Arcee and just missed, although her leg was hit and she collapsed. Springer was faced with the choice now of either pursuing the Skuxxoid and helping Arcee. He chose the latter and descended to assist Arcee. This was the chances for the Skuxxoid to escape; he entered his ship and quickly started it up.<p>

"Arcee," Springer returned to his proto form and tended to Arcee. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, but that guy's getting away." Arcee said.

Springer sighed. "I couldn't go after him even if I wanted to. I'm not built for interstellar travel."

"What about Sky Lynx? Couldn't he…" Arcee stated.

"Sky Lynx would probably shoot him down just to prove he could," Springer explained with slight annoyance. "C'mon, let's get back to Rodimus."

* * *

><p>Now free of pursuit by the Autobots, the Skuxxoid piloted his ship from Athenia. He had a views screen activated. On the screen was an oddly shaped figure hiding within the shadows. The Skuxxoid had enough to sense make out a couple of key features; an oval, almost egg-shaped form, a pillar of violet energy elevating it and a series of tendrils whipping about. But the face, if it had a face, remained shrouded in shadow.<p>

"I did what you wanted, yes I did," the Skuxxoid said. "Autobots confused, they not know what hit 'em."

The figure in the video screen simply chuckled. "_You have performed to the letter as expected. We have the prisoners in our possession now."_

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now, about that bonus you promised me…" the Skuxxoid eagerly added.  
><em><br>"Yes, your payment for the job…"_ the figure seemed to hesitate and then continued. _"…You will receive it in time."_

"What do you mean 'in time'," the Skuxxoid demanded. "I did exactly what wanted me to do."  
><em><br>"And you get what you deserve, in time."_The figure reiterated.

"You don't get it," the Skuxxoid shouted. "I need that payment. I didn't WANT this job. I HAD to take. I have a wife and kids, don't you understand? A guy's gotta make a livin'."

The figure became silent for a long moment, and the Skuxxoid wondered if his plight was getting through. Finally, the figure said, _"Very well, Skuxxoid. Receive your… payment."_  
>The figure soon vanished from the screen and a forty five second clock appeared in its place. At first, the Skuxxoid didn't quite understand, until the clock began counting down. The blood drained from the alien's face and he scrambled to find a way to shut the clock down. The console suddenly blew up in his face. The Skuxxoid knew now that he couldn't shut off the clock and made a break for the ship's only escape pod. When he got to it, he noticed a blinking red light at wall by the pod. That meant the pod was already preparing to launch. The Skuxxoid tried to override it but the controls appeared to be malfunctioning, and the pod launched into space. By now, the Skuxxoid was getting frantic as the clock counted down to zero. Nothing. The Skuxxoid, having shut his eyes to await the impending detonation of his ship, opened them in relief. He chuckled gleefully at what he assumed was a cruel joke by his benefactors. Then his glee faded when the ship started to tremble violently, as if it was caught in something like… gravity. The Skuxxoid checked the screen, which read the words: PROXIMITY WARNING.<p>

"Proximity? To what?" The Skuxxoid wondered aloud before looking out the window. And his reptilian heart sank.

A nearby singularity, no more than half the size of Earth, had caught the ship in its gravity well. The Skuxxoid frantically tried to get the ship under control manually. He forgot that the console of the ship was damaged. Even worse, the auto-pilot was still active while the Skuxxoid was speaking earlier to his benefactors. All the combined resulted in the Skuxxoid being doomed. He pounded on the window as if to call for some form of assistance. None would come to his aid as the ship was pulled into the black hole, and in turn, was crushed in the gravity well along with the Skuxxoid.

* * *

><p>Location: Cybertronian Space<p>

The Decepticons were careful to avoid the automated tracking systems of Cybertron. There was only a handful of them; Cyclonus, Scourge, Soundwave, Barricade and Fracture. This would've made them difficult to track unless some lucky Autobot caught sight of them. So far, that hadn't happened. Silent as the night, the four Decepticons entered a tunnel leading into the subsurface of their former capital of Kaon. There was hardly anything left that was recognizable after Unicron's assault. Either that, or the subsurface itself was unrecognizable. It was such to Barricade and Fracture at least; Soundwave, Cyclonus and Scourge had knowledge of the tunnels. All the paths led to a hidden vault, constructed underneath the former laboratory of the late Shockwave. The vault was nearly pitch black save for a series of faint violet grooves on the floor, all streaming somewhere.

"So, what're we looking for again?" asked Barricade.

"Did I not explain it to you, Barricade?" Cyclonus said.

Barricade scratched his head. "Um, you did, but I was spacing out at the time."

"Soundwave, if you please…" said Cyclonus, agitated.

"We are attempting to located the secret weapon of the Decepticons that was uses during the early days of the Great War. It once served as an orbital space station before Shockwave reconfigured it." Soundwave explained.

"That's great and all, Soundwave," Fracture said. "But what exactly did Shockwave reconfigure the station into?"

Scourge turned around and in a stoic, menacing tone, said the word, "Trypticon."

"Oh, Trypticon. Okay, that's not so bad. I've seen and been through worse," Barricade absentmindedly chattered. Then he shouted, "TRYPTICON!"

Scourge, having already expended his last nerve dealing with Barricade, grasped the hapless 'Con by the neck. "Say it louder! I doubt the Autobots above heard you!"

"Scourge!" Cyclonus said, and Scourge released Barricade and let him clang to the floor.

"Trypticon is like, the biggest, meanest Decepticon anyone's ever seen. He's been down here sleeping the whole time beneath the planet's surface for who knows how many decades. And, you want to wake him up," Barricade snapped. "What'd you think he'll do once he sees us? He'll probably mistake for a snack."

"Initial scans of the area indicate that Trypticon has been in a prolonged state of hibernation, likely a result of a lack of energon consumption," Soundwave explained. "However, it is likely that the battle against Unicron has awakened Trypticon. He may be aware of our presence."

"Fine. We push ahead." Cyclonus said.

"You push ahead. I'm not sticking around to become a hot lunch," Barricade turned and suddenly fell back. "AAAHHHHHH!"

"What now?" Fracture demanded.

Barricade was pointing to a never before seen robot. It was physically larger than Cyclonus, with a mostly green and white torso and arms and purple legs. The head was all white with a face plate over the lower part of the face. It was unbranded, making it impossible to tell whether it was Autobot or Decepticon. It was unresponsive to the Decepticon's presence. Then Barricade noticed another large robot. This one appeared multi colored as well; a predominately silver torso and forearms, green shoulders and legs and a red helmet over a gold face with a mouth. It was also unbranded like the other one, and like the other one was inactive.

"What are these things," Fracture wondered aloud. "They don't look like Transformers I've seen."

"Initial scan indicate that these Cybertronians are capable to multiple conversions." said Soundwave.

"You mean they're Triple-Changers, like Blitzwing?" Fracture concluded.

"Negative. They are Six-Changers."

"Six-Changers? You mean there are Transformers that have six different forms," Barricade wondered, not noticing that the first robot was activating and was standing right behind him. The other 'Cons did notice and slowly backed away. "What're you all staring at?"

Barricade soon turned and had a giant hand around his neck. The giant Transformer glared down at Barricade with piercing red optics. Cyclonus and the other Decepticons quickly had their weapon trained on the giant. But as it turned, they were surrounded by four other robots, including the second Six-Changer. The other three robots were a mystery; one, a huge, black and gray winged robot, had a weapon resembling a double barrel shotgun aimed at Scourge. The other two appeared to resemble each other, except one was color black and purple, the other white and purple. Both possessed wings pointed downward and each had a dual edged sword point at Fracture and Cyclonus. Everyone of them had their weapon pointed at each other.

The robot that held Barricade in his grasp, eyed him curiously. "What're you lookin' at?"

* * *

><p>Author's note: I'm stopping right there for now but I think we can guess what's going to happen. If you can't then I've done my job. Quick intro of the Six-Changers (yes, there's two of them) but you can guess the name of one. As for the other three, well, you'll see.<p>

By the way; yes, the Skuxxoid is dead. We're not going to be seeing again. He's dead. Gone. Out the door and into the hole. So don't ask, or I'll sic Trypticon on you.


	3. New Faces Abound

Disclaimer: Well, I'd say so far, so good for the story. Not that many reviews yet, but hey, we're still in the early chapters. Since this is technically MOVIEVERSE, I'm gonna have to start brainstorming some voices for the cast. My head's going to hurt. I don't own the rights to Transformers.

* * *

><p>Chapter III<p>

Location: Cybertron Subsurface

Barricade struggled in the grip of the hulking machine, concerned that at any moment, his neck would be crushed. The other Decepticons hard their own problems dealing with the other robots, all of whom had the group in their sights. Cyclonus kept a close optic on the black and gray robot that held Scourge at point blank range with a duel barrel shotgun. Fracture and Soundwave had the twin robots; Fracture noticed the black and purple one had a slight trembling, while the white and purple one seemed more aloof. The second hulk, the gold faced robot that, like the one gripping Barricade, was designated as a Six-Changer, had duel blasters aimed at Cyclonus. The hulk holding Barricade chuckled.

"Looks like we got us a standoff." he said.

"Weapons on the floor." said the second Six-Changer.

"And maybe we won't slag you friend." said the first Six-Changer.

The 'Cons exchanged brief glances before Fracture said, "So slag him. What do we care?

Instead of a thrashing, Barricade was thrown down to the floor and scurried behind Fracture. "Thanks for nothing, Fracture."

"Count yourself lucky, twerp. I don't kill bots that can't fight for their existence. Lacks self-respect in my view.

"You," the black/gray robot spoke to Cyclonus. "You wear the insignia of the Decepticons. All of you do."

Cyclonus, wearily, lowered his gun to speak to the giant. "Yes we do. I am known as Cyclonus. What is your designation, and how do you know of the Decepticons."

The giant leered menacingly at Cyclonus, who didn't flinch. "I am called Skyquake, and I've fought the early stellar-cycles of the Great War alongside the one called Megatron. Where is he?"

"He is dead." Scourge said.

"And he left you in command?" Skyquake pointed at Cyclonus.

"His predecessor, Galvatron, is currently missing in action. I am serving as the interim Decepticon leader until he is found."

"Which probably won't be anytime soon." Barricade said.

"Silence, Barricade." Cyclonus shouted.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Fracture asked the two hulking robots.

"Name's Sixshot, and this is my brother, Quickswitch."

"Huh, you guys are Six-Changers?" Barricade said.

The Six-Changer designated as Quickswitch leered at Barricade and said, "What's it to you, runt? If you want to make something of it, by all means."

"The technical terminology is Solo Transformer Assault Group; S.T.A.G." Soundwave corrected.

"Pretty it up all you like. I'd prefer the 'Baddest 'Con In All Of Cybertron.'" Sixshot said rather confidently.

"Or the most sadistic." Quickswitch added, earning a glared from Sixshot.

Fracture glanced at the two other bots. "And what about you two?"

The black and purple bot said, "I'm Darkwing and that's my partner, Dreadwind."

"And we'd much rather you left us deactivated." said Dreadwind.

"Why's that?" Fracture asked.

"Because everything in life is pointless," Dreadwind said. "Sooner or later, we're all going to offline eventually. What's the point of living?"

"Hey, if we're all going offline in long run, let's at least make sure other go before us." Darkwing said to his partner.

"O-Kay." Fracture mumbled to herself.

Ignoring the banter between the 'Cons, Skyquake asked Cyclonus, "Why are you here?"

"We came searching for the Decepticon's secret weapon." Cyclonus explained.

"You mean Trypticon," Sixshot said, "That's some Big Game."

"Trypticon. He hasn't been seen for millions of stellar-cycles," Skyquake turned away from Cyclonus. "It is said that he answers only to one master. Unfortunately, he's dead. Right?"

"Just tell us how to find Trypticon." Scourge snagged.

Skyquake turned back around to Cyclonus. "And, what do I…," Sixshot grunted and forced Skyquake to reiterate. "What do **we**get in return?"

"Help us locate Trypticon, and I'll see to it that you, all of you, are inducted into the Decepticons. Our ranks have dwindled significantly." Cyclonus said.

"Indeed," Skyquake said. "But I shall assume command of the Decepticons upon the finding of Trypticon."

"Done!" Cyclonus said with great reluctance.

"WHAT," Scourge exploded. "Cyclonus, this is madness. This is treason. Galvatron will have your head for this."

"Galvatron is not here, is he?" Skyquake said mockingly.

That last comment drove Scourge over the edge. He produced a single sided axe and lunged right at Skyquake with as much reckless abandon he could muster. And, it was all for naught. Skyquake, in spite of his considerable size, easily sidestepped Scourge and tripped him up. Scourge soon found himself down on his back, and Skyquake placed his foot on the Sweep's neck. The other Decepticons, Fracture, Barricade and Soundwave moved to assist Scourge, but Cyclonus held them back. This action was on the grounds that the unbranded group of Transformers all had their weapon trained on the Decepticons. A close quarters fire fight would get them all killed. Besides, Cyclonus reasoned, Scourge probably deserved whatever Skyquake had planned for him. Skyquake produced his shotgun and, pointing the double barrel at Scourge's head.

"My weapon has two settings; the default lasers…" A click was heard from the gun. "…And acid-rust. So unless you want to be melted down, you'll accept my terms and appoint me as your new leader."

"I will never follow you, Skyquake." Scourge defiantly said, and Skyquake cocked his weapon.

"Oh, you will. You don't have a choice," Skyquake pointed his gun at the other Decepticons. "None of you do."

* * *

><p>Location: Autobot City<br>Oregon Mountains; Earth

Marissa Faireborn couldn't help but be fascinated at the sheer enormity of Autobot City. The city itself had seen better days following the siege from the Decepticons. For what it was worth, the Autobots did a fantastic job getting thing back together, especially with the help the Wreckers. The Wreckers; Marissa had yet to meet them, but several Autobots, particularly Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, spoke highly of them. There was a few detailed Marissa had picked up on the Wreckers; they acted as a commando unit, but also possessed additional, individual skills. There were six of them, including two females said to be sisters. One had an almost warrior's sense of honor, one was grizzled veteran, one was a supposed gentle giant and the last was… not very nice. Marissa had thought all along that Wreckers got their name because they wrecked things. Walking into the eastern area, Marissa happened into the hanger bay. A massive ship was parked there, larger that most if not all the ships in the EDC. An exceptionally large Transformer, mostly gray with hints of cobalt blue, appeared to be working on the ship. Marissa inched a bit closer before the Transformer took notice of her. He was clearly an Autobot with the blue optics being the giveaway but he lacked a mouth.

"She's a beauty, ain't she," the giant Autobot said. "I call her the Axalon. She got the Wreckers to Earth all the way from Velocitron. I'm her mechanic; name's Stratosphere."

"I'm Marissa Faireborn. It's a pleasure to meet you, Stratosphere," Marissa said. "Although, I'm a bit surprised the Wreckers have a mechanic. I always thought you just, well, wrecked things."

"We do more than that, my dear Marissa," Stratosphere chuckled. "Each member has their own individual talents."

"And where are the other members?" Marissa asked.

As if on cue, two distinctly different vehicles came rolling into the hanger. One appeared to resemble an H3 Hummer, massive with a mostly army green and black color scheme. The second vehicle, smaller than the first, resembled a silver Dodge Viper with purple racing stripes. Like clockwork, they assumed individual proto forms, in which the size difference was all the more evident. The small robot's chassis and head were gold, the arms were jet black and the lower legs were purple. The hulking robot retained the army green and black color scheme, and had probably the largest jaw line of any Transformer.

"Where's is she," said the smaller robot in a tough, female voice. "I swear to Primus, she's more unreliable than you are clumsy, Bulkhead."

"Hey, just because I'm clumsy doesn't mean I can't hear, Roulette," said the Autobot called Bulkhead. "Besides, she's probably out taking in the sights. You know how she is; she's your sister."

"I know that, but she hardly takes her job seriously if at all," Roulette went on before she caught sight of Marissa and Stratosphere. "Hey, Strat! Who's your friend?"

Stratosphere stood up to his full high. "This is Marissa Faireborn. Marissa, this is Roulette…" He pointed to the smaller Autobot. "…our Second-in-Command and the best sniper on Velocitron. And this big lug…" Stratosphere addressed the larger Autobot. "…is our demolitions expert, Bulkhead."

"Hi there," Bulkhead said with wave. "Don't let my looks fool you; I'm actually a nice guy."

"I can only imagine." Marissa said with a slight smile, to which Bulkhead shrugged.

"Strat, you seen my sister anywhere?" Roulette asked.

"Airazor? Last I heard, she was off on a flight to what the humans call the Grand Canyon. To the best of my knowledge, she's still there."

The faint whine of a jet engine was heard approaching from the east. A small aircraft, a brown camouflage MiG-29 fighter, came jetting in toward the hangers. Marissa tensed, believing the jet to be one of the Decepticons. She noticed that none of the Wreckers reacted except for Roulette, who had her arms crossed and a small smirk on her face. The MiG-29 slowed down and hovered above the hanger floor before shifting and changing into the shape of a mostly gold and brown winged robot. The face of the bot was angular, so it was no surprise to Marissa that this was the other female Autobot the Wreckers were discussing. Roulette shook her head as the flier stretched his limbs out.

"Nothing like a good flight to get the kinks out of the gyros," she said in a youthful tone. Then she noticed the other Wreckers looking at her. Especially Roulette. "Hey, sis. What's up?"

"You were supposed to helping Stratosphere with the ship, Airazor." Roulette chastised her sister.

"I do recon, I'm not a mechanic," Airazor said and shrugged. "Besides; how could someone not be fascinated by the vistas of this world. It's beautiful."

"It's just another ugly mud ball if you ask me."

The voice was deep and gruff with very little sense of appreciation. The owner was another Transformer sitting at the far end of the hanger. He appeared mostly blue and white, massive wings curved inward slightly and a three pronged head and no mouth. He was sharpening a blade of some kind; it shimmered in a faint light of the Earth's sun. Marissa reasoned that he was yet another Wrecker, and not nearly as nice as Bulkhead or Airazor.

"If it were up to me, we wouldn't be on this backwater planet," He continued. "And these humans; their too damn primitive… and ugly."

"I beg your pardon…" Marissa said.

"You heard me!"

"Watch your tone, Depth Charge. We're guests on this planet; show some respect." Stratosphere said. He stepped in front of Marissa and the other Wreckers.

The robot called Depth Charge rose and stepped up to the larger Stratosphere. The size difference was evident, but Depth Charge didn't flinch. "I don't take orders from you, Stratosphere. Don't presume otherwise."

"I've been around long before you even had a Spark, kid," Stratosphere spat. "So I can presume a lot."

"And I thought they grew them big _and _dumb and Gigantion." Depth Charge spat back.

"You're extremely low in the command chain to be mouthing off."

"What're you gonna do about it, you old bucket of spare parts?"

"LOCK IT DOWN, BOTH OF YOU!" Another Autobot stormed into the hanger, his maximum height equal to Depth Charge with a white and red body. He carried a sword over his right shoulder and walked with an air that spoke volumes of respect.  
><em><br>He must be the leader of these Wreckers._Marissa thought.

The Autobot stepped right between Depth Charge and Stratosphere and separated them. "As Stratosphere said, we are guests on this planet. That obligates us to behave accordingly, and I WILL NOT have infighting in my crew. Understand?"

Depth Charge and Stratosphere exchanged challenging glares before Depth Charge said, "Whatever." He pushed away and stormed off.

The Wrecker's leader turned to the others. "Bulkhead, you and Roulette help Stratosphere with the ship. Airazor, I need you back on aerial reconnaissance."

"Hey Drift, what about Depth Charge?" Roulette asked.

"I'll handle him, Roulette. Just get to work," With that, the Wreckers went about their given assignment, though none were keen on it. The Wrecker called Drift looked down at the human female, whose arms were crossed. "Sorry about Depth Charge. Sometimes, I have to put him in his place. Name's Drift by the way. I'm the leader of the Wreckers."

"Marissa Faireborn, Earth Defense Command. Is he, meaning Depth Charge, always like that?" Marissa said.

"Don't take it personally, Ms. Faireborn. He doesn't like anybody, not even his fellow Wreckers." Drift explained.

"It doesn't bother me, but why keep him around?" Marissa asked.

"Because he's very good at naval infantry. He may not be the most charming but he gets the job done." Drift reasoned.

Airazor returned with urgency in her step, suggesting something was wrong. "Drift, Blaster and Outback are reporting a call from Rodimus Prime on Athenia. He says there was an attack."

* * *

><p>"You sure about this, Rodimus," asked Outback. "I mean, we haven't heard from or seen the Decepticons since we took out Unicron."<p>

Rodimus Prime was visible on a video screen in the communications area. _"I'm not sure of anything at the moment, Outback. But I wouldn't put it passed the Decepticons if they were involved."  
><em>  
>Drift arrived with Airazor and Marissa in tow. "Rodimus Prime, this is Drift of the Wreckers. What's happening up there?"<br>_  
>"Drift. Ultra Magnus speaks highly of you and the Wreckers,"<em> Rodimus said. _"I'll get straight to the point; the Galactic Olympic torch appears to have been sabotaged. Ultra Magnus took a team to deal with it but they've disappeared. The only clue is Breakaway's rifle."_

"Suspicious! You think the Decepticons are involved somehow?" Drift asked.  
><em><br>"Even without Galvatron, the Decepticons are no less a threat."_

Drift went into a brief train of thought before saying, "The Axalon is nearly ready for launch at a moment's notice. I'll gather my team and meet you on Athenia."  
><em><br>"Negative. This incident could merely be a front for something bigger. The 'Cons could be planning a major offensive on Earth. Blur and Wheelie haven't arrived there yet and the Aerialbots are up here with us,"_ Rodimus explained. _"Until they get to Earth, the Metroplex is defenseless."_

"Wait a cycle… the Metroplex?" Airazor said.

Rodimus chuckled a bit. _"You can thank Director Faireborn for the new name."_

"Really," Airazor looked down at a grinning and shrugging Marissa. "I like you already, human."

"What do we do in the meantime, Rodimus?" Drift asked.

_"For right now, the Wreckers are the best defense for the city. Word's been sent for the Protectobots to join you from Autobot Headquarters,"_ Rodimus said. _"In the meantime, Outback, I need you and Blaster to tap into Cybertron's long range sensors and find the trajectory of the Decepticons's escape after the Unicron battle. Find out where they're hold up."_

"We'll make sure to transmit the data to you ASAP," Outback said. "At least I won't have go gallivanting across the galaxy again."

_"Alright then, Rodimus Prime out."_ The video cut afterward.

Drift looked down at Marissa with a smirk. "Metroplex!"

"You have to admit, it's catchy." Marissa chuckled.

"I really like this human!" exclaimed Airazor.

* * *

><p>Beneath Cybertron's scorched and mangled surface, the Decepticons, led collectively now by Cyclonus and Skyquake, ventured deeply down into the sub surface. Cycle by cycle, they ran into more twists and turns than the law of the planet should've allowed. It irked them more that the occasional whining of Barricade. Cyclonus and Skyquake were at the head of the pack, Fracture, Soundwave, Scourge, Dreadwind, Darkwing and Barricade took up the middle, and the Six-Changers Sixshot and Quickswitch brought up the rear. As the group went on, they heard the low tone of some sort of animal. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once.<p>

"Soundwave, can you triangulate the source of the noise." Cyclonus asked.

Soundwave went silent for a moment before saying, "Negative. I am unable to properly track the noise to its point of origin. Furthermore, I possess no recording of this noise."

"So, we have no idea what's down or if whatever is down here is stalking us or not? Great!" Barricade said.

Barricade stopped while the other Decepticons kept going, not wanting to have to wait for him to catch up. It was actually suggested by Sixshot to Skyquake electronically that someone shoot Barricade right away. Barricade wasn't aware, of either their exchange or of the large yellow eyes that were now opening to his left. The shadows there began to shift subtly until Barricade saw a gargantuan face staring right back him. Contrary to his usual moments of sheer idiocy, Barricade was dead quiet except for his knees clanging together.

"Uh, Cyclonus…"

Without bothering to face him, Cyclonus said, "What is it now, Barricade?"

"This Trypticon guy…" Barricade said wearily. "Exactly how big was he?"

"City size. Why?"

Barricade to the point where he felt like he'd just sprung a leak. "Well, I think I found him."

Before Cyclonus could turn around, the gigantic shadowy figure moved into view of the Decepticons. As it moved, the entire sub surface tunnel shook with the force of bomb dropped onto a city. The shadow loomed over the Decepticons and came into view in the dim lit area, revealing a reptilian form that would easily dwarf every gestalt team combined. It let out a low roar and lowered its massive head upon the Decepticon. Skyquake, with bravado, stepped up to the monstrous machine.

"I am Trypticon. Who disturbs my slumber?"

Skyquake took another step forward. "Trypticon, I am Skyquake, leader of the Decepticons."

"Not yet you're not!" Scourge snapped, still refusing to accept Skyquake's claim. It earned him a glared from Skyquake.

"The war. What has happened in the war? Where is Megatron?" Trypticon asked.

"Megatron has fallen in battle and has appointed me in his stead," Skyquake said in what was an outright lie. "You will follow me now, Trypticon."

Trypticon let out a horrible roar that seemed to shake the planet itself. "I FOLLOW NONE BUT MEGATRON. YOU ARE NOT MEGATRON, THEREFORE I WILL NOT FOLLOW YOU."

"You WILL follow me…" Skyquake brandished his ranged weapon and pointed it right the beast's optics. "…or I'll melt you down right here, right now!"

"You think you can destroy me? You think you can destroy Trypticon," Trypticon leered down at Skyquake, showing his monstrous reptilian face for the first time. "Pathetic!"

If Skyquake was in the least bit put off by Trypticon's refusal to follow him, or by his seemingly stone cold devotion to the late Megatron, he didn't show it. Trypticon, as big as he was intimidating, hardly flinched at the sight of Skyquake's gun. The Decepticons, in a rare moment, stepped back, except for the two Quickswitch and Sixshot. They stood their ground, double guns loaded and ready to set the subsurface ablaze. Which would be a bad thing; the entire sub surface could collapse on all of them. That was farthest from the mind of Skyquake and Trypticon, until Cyclonus stepped in between them.

"Trypticon, I am Cyclonus, loyal Second-in-Command for the Decepticons." he said, humble and contrite.

"What in the Pit are you…" Skyquake snapped.

"SILENCE," Trypticon boomed, effectively shutting up Skyquake. "Speak your peace, Cyclonus. Quickly!"

Cyclonus glanced back at Skyquake, saw the hatred in his optics and turned to face Trypticon. "A great many things have changed over the eons. Megatron himself perished in the war, but not before he tore the Spark out of Optimus Prime. For a time, we were led by Megatron's successor, Galvatron."

"This successor, this Galvatron; where is he," Trypticon asked. "I'd wish to speak with him."

"We do not know," Cyclonus said, all the while half-expecting Trypticon to eat him alive. "He disappeared during the battle again the god-like entity called Unicron."

Trypticon growled. "Then we have nothing more to discuss." With that, Trypticon slunk back into the shadow from which he seemingly came.

"Wait…" Cyclonus shouted, but Trypticon was already gone.

"You know, for a huge Decepticon lizard, he move pretty quick." Barricade mused to Fracture.

Fracture shook her head. "Oh, shut up, Barricade."

"What'd I say?"

Scourge stepped next Cyclonus. "Well, that went better than expected. Now what should we do? Return to Chaar and rust away?"

"I'm all for returning to Chaar," Barricade said. "This place gives me the creeps."

"I told you all but none of you believed me. We're all going to die." said Dreadwind.

"Let's at least slag someone first before we go." Darkwing added.

"Shut up, all of you," Skyquake said and got right Cyclonus' face. "Don't you ever countermand me again, Cyclonus. I and the leader of the Decepticons now. You follow me."

This time, Cyclonus had had enough. He pushed Skyquake back and pulled out his duel blades, pointing them toward him. "You do not command the Decepticons yet, Skyquake."

"Really? And you should lead the Decepticons? You?"

Cyclonus put one blades away, keeping the other fixed on Skyquake. "No," he said. "There is only one who can lead the Decepticon back to glory. We must find Galvatron."

"How? We don't know where he is." Scourge said.

"No, we don't," Cyclonus admitted. "But there is someone else who might know."

It only took a moment for Scourge to figure who Cyclonus was referring to. "No. You wouldn't dare."

"Who're we talking about?" Barricade asked since he was in the dark at that point.

Scourge leered at Barricade and said rhetorically, "Who do you think?"

Barricade thought about it before he felt a sizzle in his circuits. "Wait, him? HIM? But he's dead," When the Decepticons said nothing, Barricade asked, "Isn't he?"

* * *

><p>Author's note: Another chapter is in the books, so to speak. Think of this as introductory for the debuting characters of the story. We've got the Wreckers, which consists of six Autobots, including two familiar faces. We also got five new Decepticons, one of which seems to have ulterior motives. Leave a review, tell me what you think.<p> 


	4. The Roads Untraveled

Disclaimer: No reviews from the previous chapter. I guess I shouldn't be surprised; it happens a lot. Be that as it may, here's chapter IV. Of course, I don't own the rights to Transformers, but you already knew that.

* * *

><p>Chapter IV<p>

Location: Unknown

"…you hear me? Kup… Kup, c'mon, get up, I need you on your feet. Let's go."

Kup snapped upright for find Ultra Magnus kneeling at one side and Spike standing at the other. "Feels like I got smacked in the face with an EM pulse. Wait," Kup examined his surroundings. "Where are we?"

"We were hoping you could tell us." Spike said.

Ultra Magnus helped Kup to his feet as Kup continued to kook around. "I've been here before, with Rodimus and Elita. This is the planet Quintessa."

"Right, you told us about this place. Already, I don't like it." Spike said.

"Wait…" Ultra Magnus said. "Where is Elita? And Breakaway?"

The prison cell door opened before Ultra Magnus could receive a reply. Three hideous creatures, all appearing both organic and technological, slowly entered the cell. Ultra Magnus and Kup stood their ground while keeping Spike out of reach. The creature in the middle appeared egg-shaped, levitated on violet beam of energy and possessing five distinct faces with a different expression. The other two flanking the middle were identical, like two techno-organic reptilians.

"I'm guessing that's a Quintesson." Ultra Magnus whispered to Kup.

"One of them, and they're all just as ugly." Kup said.

"The Autobot Kup," the Quintesson said. "Such a pleasure to see you again."

"I'm shocked," Kup said, "I'd of thought your pet sharks had eaten you alive by now."

"Not quite," the Quintesson turned to Ultra Magnus. "And you must be Ultra Magnus. I am known as Deliberata of the Quintesson hierarchy. We've learned much about you and your new leader, Rodimus Prime."

"What've you done to our friends? The Autobots you abducted along with us," Ultra Magnus said. "Tell us, now."

But Deliberata simply chuckled and said, "You Autobot allies have been… disposed of."

"You're lying," Spike shouted and stepped right out front to confront Deliberata. "Tell us where our friends are before things get ugly for you."

"Ah, the Autobot's human ally," Deliberata mused. "We shall enjoy running tests on you, and your female and child companions."

"You son of a…" Spike charged headlong at the Quintesson only to be whipped away and into Ultra Magnus' arms. "You touch my family and I'll…"

"You will do nothing," Deliberata shouted. Then in an eerily calm tone, he said, "Now please, enjoy yourselves while you can, while we reconvene with his majesty, Alpha Q." With that, Deliberata left the cell and the Guardsmen sealed the exit."

"He's not worth the effort, Spike," Ultra Magnus said before letting Spike go. "Let it go."

Spike pulled away from Magnus. "What do you do if it was your family, Magnus?"

Magnus had no answer and turned to Kup. "You think what he said was true? About Elita and Breakaway?"

"No," Kup said. "I've dealt with these guys before with Elita and Rodimus. They're terrible liars."

If that's the case, there where are Elita and Breakaway?" Spike asked.

"That's where your guess is as good as mine."

* * *

><p>Elsewhere, Deliberata arrived inside a near pitch black room. "Master, we have two of the four Autobots from Athenia in imprisonment, plus one human."<p>

In the shadows on an elevated pedestal stood a single egg-shaped creature, larger than Deliberata. "What of the other Autobots?" it asked.

"We surmise that they must be somewhere on the planet," Deliberata said. "We will send the Allicons to hunt them down."

"No. No need to waste resources," the figure said. "If these wayward Autobots are out there, then she will find them."

"You mean our original creation?"

"Yes, Deliberata. Let us allow her to have her fun," The figure emerged from the shadows, revealing the frightening face of Death itself. "We will kill them all; our newest and greatest creations will see to that."

A steel door opened in the shadows and five pairs of glowing red eyes appeared, accompanied by the growling of predatory animals. The Quintessons laughed as only they could, for they were now certain that the final destruction of the Transformers was at hand.

* * *

><p>When he regained consciousness, Breakaway realized two things; one, he wasn't on Athenia anymore, and two everything he could see was upside down and swaying. He tried to move before realizing that it wasn't the surroundings that were inverted. It was him. Breakaway was hanging upside down from something thick and sticky. His movements were limited by some kind of net glowing in a blue hue. His attempted to rocket out failed due to the substance gumming up his thrusters. On top of everything else, Breakaway no idea where Ultra Magnus or the other Autobots were. He heard movement, metal footsteps on metal ground. His first instinct was to get his rifle out but forgot he'd left it on Athenia. The footsteps inched closer and Breakaway braced himself, becoming relieved when Elita One appeared below him.<p>

"Looking for someone?" he said.

Elita One looked up. "Breakaway. You okay, kid?"

"Does this look okay to you? Does it," Breakaway snapped. "C'mon, get me down from here."

"You've got thrusters, use them." Elita snapped back.

"I couldn't if I wanted to. This gunk's gumming them up," Breakaway explained. "Just get me down. I can feel the oil rushing to my central processor."

Elita One chuckled and prepped up to get Breakaway down. But she noticed something about the net. Or rather, the shadow slinking about behind Breakaway. It couldn't be… Elita took a step back; she swung her head about like a swivel. Those weren't just nets. They were webs, and two things occurred to Elita. First, she and Breakaway were somehow on Quintessa, meaning the Quintessons were behind the incident at Athenia. Second, the creature responsible for the young flier's predicament was close. Very close. But while Elita was aware of what was going on, Breakaway wasn't, so he couldn't fathom why Elita was suddenly back peddling away.

"Elita? Elita, hey, where're you going? Elita," he shouted, but Elita paid him no heed. "Oh, are you kidding me?"

Breakaway went silent. The creature that created the webs that subdued him was closing on him. She was cautious like any other predator, slinking on eight skinny legs without so much as vibrating the web. Having been on Quintessa before, Breakaway knew right away that it was Elita One's former friend Chromia, turned by the Quintessons into the Predacon Blackarachnia, stalking him. In her black widow spider form, Blackarachnia came face to face with Breakaway and hissed. Her fangs, dripping with venom, clicked together, savoring the forthcoming meal. Then from out of nowhere, Blackarachnia was blasted clear of Breakaway. She hit the cold steel below before righting herself as Elita One came charging toward her. Assuming her shockingly sultry robotic form, Blackarachnia charged at Elita One. They collided in a shower of sparks and engaged in hand to hand combat.

The first strike came from Elita One as she unleashed a quick roundhouse kick to Blackarachnia's head. Blackarachnia ducked under the kick and missed a straight thrust. They went back and forth in a series of lightning fast blows, moving so fast that Breakaway couldn't follow then. Blackarachnia displayed a unique advantage; her additional limbs. They made for great weapons, forcing Elita One to go on the defensive and block a constant assault. Blackarachnia deftly whipped and thrusted every limb, most of which Elita blocked but she still managed to land a few hits. Elita suddenly caught Blackarachnia off guard with a straight punch to Blackarachnia's face, followed by another blow. Blackarachnia fought back, using her limbs to subdue and toss Elita across the ground. Then she assumed spider form and pounced, pinning Elita down. Elita had to hold back the spider's fang and keep them from puncturing his body.

Elita was able to kick Blackarachnia away and Blackarachnia returned to her proto form. She was unprepared when Elita assumed vehicle form and raced toward her. With so little time, she braced herself, extending her limb to their full length. At the last second, Elita assumed proto form and landed a straight kick, knocking Blackarachnia down. Elita pulled out her gun and went to subdue Blackarachnia, only for Blackarachnia to kick her away. Elita went down and got back up, as did Blackarachnia. Suddenly, Blackarachnia surprised Elita by subduing her in a blanket of webbing. With momentum, Elita became embedded into a wall and Blackarachnia stood over her, hissing and holding the sharp edges of one of her limbs to her face.

"I told you **never **to come looking for me," she said with venom in her voice. She scraped her limb across Elita's cheek. "Guess I should've known better of you."

Elita felt the limb leaving a gash a on her face. "I didn't come looking for you." She said.

"Liar," Blackarachnia said. "You betrayed me already and you're doing it again. Why should I expect otherwise?"

Breakaway was still trying to free himself from the webs. "Get away from her."

Blackarachnia turned to the helpless flier, holding an odd looking gun in her hand. "You be as quiet as possible or I'll fill you with cyber venom. It can be very excruciating," Then she turned back to Elita. "As for you, Elita, my old friend, I'm going to take my time dismantling you piece by piece."

"I think you're overlooking something, Blackarachnia," Elita said. "You even stop to think how Breakaway and I ended up on Quintessa? That's where we are, right?"

Blackarachnia glared and hissed at Elita before backing off. "If you're lying…" With a quick swipe of her limb, Blackarachnia cut the web and freed Elita. "…I'll snuff out you Spark. And believe me, I will make it hurt."

Elita One was cautious to stand up, while Breakaway finally freed himself; and fell to the ground with a thud. "You okay, Breakaway?"

"I'll tell you when my circuits stop shorting. Ouch!" Breakaway said.

Blackarachnia ignored Breakaway and looked at Elita One. "Why are you here, Elita?"

"I don't know, but I'm guessing the Quintessons have a slimy tentacle in this. And we didn't come alone," Elita said. "There were two other Autobots and a human with us. We must've been separated."

"You think?" Breakaway joked.

"You figures the Quintessons have your friends? Cry me an energon river," Blackarachnia snapped. "Anyway, the Quintessons would be holding them in their stronghold, several clicks south of here. Not that I'd expect you to care."

Breakaway righted himself and flexed his arms. "We've got to save them."

"You're wasting your time, kid," Blackarachnia said. "I know better than anyone that Elita One only cares about herself. That's why she left me behind."

"I'd of come back for you if given the chance, **Chromia,**" Elita snapped. "If I could go back in time, you bet all eight of your damn limbs I would."

"Go ahead and try," Blackarachnia dared Elita. "Time dilation _is _your specialty, isn't it?"

The two of them were moments from coming to blows when Breakaway stepped between them. "Hey, as much as I'd like to see a fembot thrash down, we should focus on finding Ultra Magnus and Kup."

It was like neither Elita nor Blackarachnia even acknowledged Breakaway's presence, before Elita said, "Breakaway's right. This bickering won't help anyone."

"Fine, I'll help you get so-called friends back. I'll even make sure you stay alive, so I can rip you apart myself," Blackarachnia sneered. "Besides, I've got a score to settle with the Quintessons. Follow me." Blackarachnia pushed passed Elita, assumed spider form and started off.

Breakaway stepped up to Elita and asked, "Can we trust her?"

"No," Elita said. "But we don't have a choice." Elita went to follow Blackarachnia.

Breakaway caught up with Elita and started say," What happened between…"

"Breakaway," Elita snapped. "Shut up!"

Breakaway did just that.

* * *

><p>The last remnants of Unicron floated in orbit around Cybertron, a grim reminder of the moons he had destroyed so long ago. Now only the severed of the former Chaos Bringer remained. It was decaying rapidly; Perceptor of the Autobots concluded it would be reduced to a withered husk within one Earth year. But until then, it was easy picking for salvage groups. A group of airborne objects ventured toward the head, careful to avoid the planetary sensors on Cybertron. Near the gaping mouth of Unicron, the final expression before his eventual demise, most of the objects reshaped themselves into the Decepticons. Cyclonus, Scourge and Skyquake were the first to land, followed by Dreadwind and Darkwing. Soundwave, Barricade and Fracture had ridden on the alt forms of Sixshot and Quickswitch. None were in any hurry to enter the mouth of the offline titan, but Skyquake decided to take point.<p>

"Let us get this over with." he said.

"Who put you in charge," Fracture said. "Did Cyclonus resign while I wasn't looking?"

Skyquake loomed over Fracture. "Do not test me, Fracture. You won't like what happens."

"Enough," Cyclonus said. "Skyquake, Fracture and Soundwave, you will accompany Scourge and I. The rest of you will remain here."

"What's up with that?" Sixshot asked, disappointed.

"Like it matters!" Quickswitch said.

Ignoring the apparent cynicism of Quickswitch, Cyclonus led his team of 'Cons into Unicron's head. The recent events of the battle left everything and mangled heap of loose wire and busted walls. There was an echo that accompanied the Decepticon's footstep, and more than once did the thought of being watched creep into their minds. No one dared to speak up about the random corpses of Decepticons and other unbranded husks. Scourge suddenly stopped dead and turned right around. He was sure he heard something in the distance but he didn't know what. Scourge went to catch up with the rest of the group. As they venture further in, Fracture tensed at a far off sound of metal on metal.

"There's nothing to fear; Unicron is dead." Cyclonus said. No sooner had he spoke, a deep, groaning sound filled the area and made the 'Cons tense up except for Skyquake.

"Nothing to fear? What do you call that, Cyclonus?" Fracture said.

"Must be the wind." Cyclonus said, although he was far from convinced himself.

"There _is_no wind in space." Scourge snapped.

"Quiet!"

"Tell me, Cyclonus; exactly how is a dead god going to help us find Galvatron?" Skyquake asked.

"Unicron's memory banks will have been recording his final moments. With luck, they'll have tracked Galvatron's whereabouts."

"And if he can't be found?" Skyquake said, and Cyclonus was growing impatient.

"A terminal has been located, like the memory bank we require. It may provide the information we seek." said Soundwave.

"Transform and patch in, Soundwave. We need to know of Galvatron's fate." Scourge said.

Soundwave assume his alt form and connected a series of cords into the terminal. The first image was of static and white noise. Then the feed began to clear up, albeit slowly. An image of Cybertron appeared, and then a massive hand slammed into the planet's surface. The image switched over to a fleet of ships; the Decepticons themselves. It became clear that Cyclonus and company were witnessing the battle for Cybertron through Unicron's point of view. A new image featured Galvatron in the clutches of Unicron and the now deceased Slipstream hovering overhead, laughing for some reason. The video cut again of Galvatron and an Autobot fighting off a horde of robots, including one that looked suspiciously like Optimus Prime. The final image showed Galvatron falling down into a raging inferno and vanishing before the video went dead.

"Well, looks like Galvatron met a fiery end," Skyquake callously implied. "Maybe now you'll acknowledge me as the Decepticon's new leader."

"No," Cyclonus said. "Soundwave, see if you can clear up this image. Fracture, assist him."

As Fracture went on to help Soundwave, Skyquake became more adamant. "There's nothing to search for, Cyclonus," he said, pointing at the screen. "Galvatron is dead. Accept it."

Cyclonus got right the face of Skyquake. "Galvatron still lives. I **will not**accept otherwise."

"If you two are finished bickering, we've cleared up the image as best we could." Fracture said.

The image was, more or less, clearer than normal but still garbled with static. But it showed what the Decepticons needed to see. Galvatron had indeed fallen into the inferno, but as it turned out, he fell all the way through and crashed through the metal surface below and into space. The impact likely knocked him unconscious as he drifted aimlessly. The video cut out again, and Soundwave returned to his proto form.

"Now we know what happened to Galvatron, but where did he go afterwards?" Scourge said.

"A thorough evaluation of Galvatron's trajectory suggests that he has drifted toward the uncharted lava planet of Thrall."

"Then that is our destination." Cyclonus said.

"Thrall is a long way from here, Cyclonus," Fracture said. "I doubt any of us have the energon reserves to make it there."

"We have no choice. Back to Chaar." Cyclonus said.

With the information gathered, Cyclonus and company departed to regroup with the other Decepticons. None of them seemed to notice the seemingly ghostly figure stalking them, remaining solely in the shadows. Had anyone paid even the slightest attention, the figure would've been more than familiar. Outside of Unicron's head, the Decepticons took off on the return trip to Chaar. The ghostly figure changed into a stream of sparks and followed them, and none of the Decepticons were the wiser.

* * *

><p>Despite only having been leading the Autobots for a short time, Rodimus Prime wisely erected a quarantine of Athenia. Springer and Arcee had explained the situation with the Skuxxoid and how they were unable to catch him. Rodimus didn't blame them. Instead he focused on trying to figure whether or not the Decepticons were behind the disappearances of Ultra Magnus, Elita One, Kup, Breakaway and Spike. Rodimus, though, was suspicious; granted, the Decepticons performed hit and run maneuvers before, but always with an endgame in sight. This latest incident was more random than normal, so Rodimus met up with Perceptor in his temporary lab. He wasn't alone there; the Dinobots were present and, surprisingly, were well behaved for a change. Jazz, Springer, Arcee and Tempest were all there too, and Tempest was pacing like a caged animal and making Sludge and Slag dizzy.<p>

"Tell me you have something, Perceptor." Rodimus said.

"I've checked and rechecked the star charts, but there's no indication that of any Decepticons anywhere in this system or their current location in general." Perceptor said.

Tempest stopped pacing about and confronted Perceptor. "You have to keep trying, Perceptor. Breakaway is out there. If the 'Cons have him…"

"Tempest, calm down," Rodimus said and put a hand her shoulder. "Breakaway's tough. We'll find him."

"Rodimus, I'm getting a transmission from Earth. Patching through." Jazz said.

The video screen quickly showed Outback. _"Rodimus, this is Outback. It took some digging but Blaster and I were able to triangulate the Decepticon's last known trajectory from Cybertron to an uninhabited planet called Chaar. I'm transmitting the updated star chart right now. Stand by."_

"It is official, Outback; I'm jealous." Perceptor said.

Rodimus and Tempest both looked at Perceptor in stunned silence. "Perceptor, did you just crack a joke?" Tempest asked.

"Did I?" Perceptor asked, himself shocked.

Rodimus looked at the new chart, finding nothing but stars and shook his head. "Outback, these charts don't show any planets in this sector of space," Annoyed at being back at square one, Rodimus went to wipe a smudge off the screen. It didn't come off and Rodimus tried again. Then he said, "Wait a nanosecond; I think I found it. I thought it was just a smudge."  
><em><br>"Yeah, that pretty much fits the description of Chaar."_Outback said.

"Thanks, Outback. Rodimus Prime out," Rodimus shut off the transmission and turned to his crew. "Well, now we've got something to go on."

"What's the plan? Go in guns blazing?" Springer said.

"Personally, I like that idea, but discretion might be the better part of valor," Rodimus Prime said. "If the 'Cons have a stronghold, we'll need to sneak, rescue Magnus and the other and sneak back out," Rodimus pressed his finger to one side of his head. "Sky Lynx, you read me?"

_"Of course. It'd be a crying shame if otherwise."_Sky Lynx responded.

"We need transport to the planet Chaar. Be ready."

_"Naturally, I'm always ready, Rodimus."_Sky Lynx declared.

"Alright, Springer, Arcee and Tempest, you three are with me," Rodimus said and turned to Jazz. "Jazz, you and Perceptor take the Dinobots and the Aerialbots back to Earth. See if you can randevous with Blur and Wheelie."

Then Grimlock came stomping in on the Autobots, throwing a tantrum. "No fair. Grimlock, want to stamp Decepticons to into ground."

The Velociraptor Quickstrike screeched, "Quickstrike, want to eat Decepticons." The other Dinobots voiced their opinions, which consisted of growling and roaring.

"Grimlock, this rescue mission requires subtlety, to which I fear you know the meaning." Perceptor. He was met with a frightening stare from the robotic T-Rex.

"He's right, Grimlock. Sorry." Rodimus said.

"Grimlock say, he thought Rodimus cool. Grimlock say, he not like Rodimus no more." Grimlock said.

Fighting the urge to break in hysterics, Rodimus relented. "Okay, you big bozo, you can come. But the rest of the Dinobots are going back to Earth. One Dinobot is enough."

"Quickstrike, not listen to Autobot punk."

"Grimlock say, Quickstrike listen to Grimlock, or Grimlock smash."

A stare down commenced between the T-Rex and the Raptor. Quickstrike ultimately backed down and said, "Quickstrike, listen to Grimlock. For now!"

Relieved, Rodimus Prime declared, "Move out."

* * *

><p>"Climb aboard, my friends," Sky Lynx declared as he assumed shuttle form. "We make for planet Chaar, as only my unmatched skills can get us there."<p>

"By Primus," Springer cringed. "I think Perceptor and Wheeljack created a monster." he muttered to Arcee.

"That makes two of us." Acree muttered back.

Ignoring their uber-arrogant comrade, the Autobots entered the transport module one after another. As Rodimus Prime was entering last, Carly caught up him. "Rodimus," she called, to which Rodimus turned to her. "My husband, Daniel's father; you have to bring him back. Please."

Rodimus knelt down to Carly. "We'll get Spike back, Carly. You have my word on that."

With that, Rodimus Prime continued into the shuttle and the ramp closed behind him. Carly had to take his word, because Optimus Prime would've done the same. Knowing there was nothing more she could do, Carly headed for the other shuttle where Daniel was waiting for her with Jazz and Perceptor. Sky Lynx ignited his thrusters and soon enough took off to the stars. Hopefully, they Autobots wouldn't be too late to find their friends. The problem was everything Rodimus knew about the Decepticon's supposed involvement was wrong. He had no idea just how wrong, and he had a lot more to learn than he realized.

* * *

><p>Author's note: That's it for this chapter and, yeah, Blackarachnia returns. Hopefully, she'll have a larger role this time around. I wouldn't trust a Black Widow though, seeing as I have arachnophobia. Other than that, give me a shout so I can continue. And beware of Black Widow Spiders.<p> 


	5. A Dozen Ways To Die

Disclaimer: Here's Chapter V of my little story, and it seems to have garnered some attention. I like that. I still don't own the rights to Transformers, but thankfully, neither does Michael Bay. ZING!

* * *

><p>Chapter V<p>

Location: Autobot City/Metroplex section  
>Oregon Mountains<p>

Three of the six Wreckers, Stratosphere, Bulkhead and Roulette, continued working diligently on the Axalon. Airazor was still doing aerial recon in the air/space surrounding the city while Drift was with Blaster and Outback in the communications tower. Depth Charge, the naval infantry specialist of the Wreckers, cared little if at all for what his teammates were doing. Instead he sat in a corner sharpening his sword. Which was understandable; the rest of the Wreckers, Drift included, knew Depth Charge preferred fighting over fixing. So, they left him alone. Depth Charge caught a glance of Marissa approaching the others, and chuckled in resentment. Marissa ignored him and came up to Bulkhead who took notice of her.

"Hi, Marissa." he said.

"Bulkhead. You're the demolitions expert, right," Marissa said. "I assume you've seen a lot of battle."

"Not as much as I'd like. I've smashed a few walls here and there, though." Bulkhead admitted.

"That's an understatement," Roulette said. "Bulkhead's smashed more than a few walls on Velicitron."

"Those Vehicons had it coming." Bulkhead said.

"Vehicons?" Marissa repeated.

"Yeah, they're like Autobots, just meaner." Bulkhead said.

"And dumber." Roulette added.

"Hey, about a little less chatting and a little more fixing?" Stratosphere said, and Marissa stepped said to let the Wreckers get back to work. Then she jumped at multiple sounds coming at once; the sound of heavy metal music and of Stratosphere's head banging up against the hull of the Axalon. "BULKHEAD, TURN THE CRAP OFF!"

"What? It's just Earth music, Strat. Airazor digs it." Bulkhead exclaimed.

"Airazor is not here," Stratosphere bellowed. "Turn it off!"

Marissa looked curiously at Roulette, who simply shrugged and smiled. Obviously, Stratosphere wasn't a big fan of rock n' roll. Rather than get involved in a scuffle between the two Wreckers, Marissa stepped away to find something else to do. She noticed Depth Charge glancing at Bulkhead and Stratosphere's continued bickering. If there was even a hint of amusement in his face, Depth Charge didn't show it. He was one those 'hard to read' types. Yet, for some reason, Marissa was curious about Depth Charge and she decided to approach. Depth Charge didn't notice, or rather, didn't care that Marissa was coming his way.

"So…" Marissa said.

"So what?" Depth Charge said.

"What's your story, Depth Charge?" she asked.

"There's no story," Depth Charge said without even looking at the human. "Go ask Stratosphere if you want a story."

"I'm sure you and the Wreckers have seen some interesting thing in your travels," Marissa persisted. You've got to have a story or two."

"I'm no storyteller, human. I'm a fighter. It's what I do, and I'm damn good at it." Depth Charge said.

Marissa was becoming angered by Depth Charge's dismissive attitude toward her. "Alright, tell me this; what's your problem with humans?"

"It's not just humans; it's all organics in general," Depth Charge said and leaned down to Marissa. She didn't flinch. "In a nutshell, I just don't like them. Simple."

"Why?" Marissa asked.

Sighing, Depth Charge went on to explaining. "Organics are too weak, too frail. They die too damn easily to put up a decent fight, and when they try, they tend to get in the way."

"Well, maybe on some other planets where there might be organics, that would tend to happen. But the humans of Earth are different." Marissa exclaimed.

Depth Charge huffed dismissively. "Really? What make you so special?"

"I never said I was special, but I was born into a Military family so I've experienced quite a bit," Marissa explained. "My grandfather, my father and my mother all swore the oath of service. My parents in particular served in a top-secret commando unit."

"How top-secret?" Depth Charge asked.

"Straight from the top; need to know." Marissa said.

Depth Charge only huffed. "Fine then, Lady Jaye. You can keep your secrets. But the Wreckers don't deal in secrets. We're fighters, all of us. If you can't contribute on the field, stay out of our way," Something Depth Charge confused him; Marissa was laughing. "What so damn funny?"

"Lady Jaye," Marissa said. "That was my mom's call sign."

Marissa walked off, leaving Depth Charge, for once in his life, more confused than irritated. Then a thought occurred; when the Wreckers arrived on Earth, they downloaded information on the World Wide Web. Mention of a top secret commando unit came up and Depth Charge found the call sign _Lady Jaye_, among others. Depth Charge didn't think about it at first, but maybe there was more to Marissa Faireborn, and humans in general, than meets the eye.

* * *

><p>Location: Chaar<p>

Cyclonus and the rest of the Decepticons under his command returned to Chaar. The stranded 'Cons were still squabbling over the last reserves of energon, although most of them barely had energy enough to transform. Blitzwing, probably the only Decepticon somehow managing to function, had been watching his fellow soldiers. It was… unpleasant to watch. When Cyclonus and his group returned, Blitzwing noticed the new Transformers accompanying them. He didn't recognize any one of them and Cyclonus stormed right up to him.

"Blitzwing, what's the situation?" he asked.

"Situation? What's that look like to you," Blitzwing pointed at the weakened 'Cons fighting each other. "It's kind of tough to watch. And who are these guys?"

"New recruits." Scourge said.

"Recruits huh? Think they can spare some energon?" Blitzwing asked.

The hulking black Decepticon stepped forward, crossing his arms in front of him. "These Decepticons are out of shape."

"That's sayin' a lot, Skyquake. These 'Cons are just done," Sixshot said. "They 'bout to head for that big junkyard in the sky."

"Better them than us, although we're all gonna die anyway." Dreadwind said.

Darkwing gave a simply, "Yep."

"Will you two just shut the Pit up." Quickswitch snapped.

"Blitzwing, gather the Decepticons. I've important new to deliver to them." said Cyclonus.

"What news?"

"The kind that will return us to our former glory. Now go."

* * *

><p>On the other side of Chaar, Sky Lynx set down with unmatched grace. A ramp opened and the Autobots emerged from the transport module, Rodimus Prime at the head of the group. Arcee followed Rodimus out as she was followed by Springer. Tempest and Grimlock were the last to exit out of Sky Lynx before the shuttle assumed his giant dinosaur form. Looking around, Sky Lynx conveyed a great deal of disgust for a great deal of reasons.<p>

"The Decepticons call this… this hobble home now? Pathetic if I do say so myself." he said.

"For once, I've got to agree with you, Sky Lynx. But I'd rather have them here than on Cybertron or Earth." Springer said.

"I'd rather them all in the abyss, or rotting away into wasted by-product," Tempest stated in a darker and more malicious tone. "They deserve it for what they've done to Breakaway."

The other Autobots glanced at the former Decepticon; Arcee in particular got her gun out to her side. "Don't try anything, Tempest."

Rodimus Prime stepped between them, holding them back at arm's length. "Now's not the time, girls."

"Rodimus, my ingeniously designed sensors have picked up some faint energon readings due east of our current position." Sky Lynx stated.

"Must by the 'Cons," Rodimus said. "Alright, Grimlock, you come with me on recon. The rest of you stay here. Sky Lynx, get a beat on our energon signatures, just in case."

"Grimlock pleased. He not go on recon before."

"Uh, Rodimus, I don't think the words_ Grimlock_ and _Recon_ go in the same sentence." Springer quipped.

Rodimus chuckled. "Well, then it'll be a good learning experience for him." With that, Rodimus Prime and Grimlock started off. They stopped when Rodimus heard Tempest approaching them.

"Rodimus, let me come with you." she said.

"We don't know if the Decepticons have Breakaway, Tempest." Rodimus pointedly said.

"We don't know if they don't have him," Tempest reasoned. "But I need to know for sure. Breakaway would do the same thing for me."

"Me, Grimlock think, Tempest like Breakaway. A lot." Grimlock exclaimed.

"Alright, Tempest, you can come, but everyone else stay here out of sight," Rodimus said. "Let's move out."

* * *

><p>"Do you have any idea what you're asking, Cyclonus," Scrapper said weakly. "We barely have energon to sustain ourselves for more than a decca-cycle."<p>

"I'd rather die fighting for my share than give it up." Motor Master added.

"You _will_ die if you don't surrender your share, Motor Master, Cyclonus said. "If we're going to recover Galvatron, then we need the spare energon to get to Thrall and then to return here."

"But if we surrender our energon, we're doomed." said Dead End.

"If we don't, we're doomed, too." said Breakdown.

"Face it, we're doomed." Dead End said.

"Shut up," Motor Master bellowed and turned to Cyclonus. "There's not nearly enough for you and your new friends, Cyclonus."

"Which is why I'm only taking Scourge and Skyquake. The rest of you will remain here and await our return." Cyclonus said.

"Fine. If that's what it takes…" Motor Master kicked one of the two remaining energon cubes over to Cyclonus.

The rest of the weakened Decepticons did the same, handing over the final cube they had with them. The cube fluctuated briefly upon hitting the ground by Cyclonus, Skyquake and Scourge. Like scavengers, the three of them partook in the energon without regard for what the Decepticons were thinking. In a surprising show of charity though, Cyclonus returned one of the cubes to the rest of the 'Cons. Like rabid dogs, they lunged, scrambled and clawed at each other for the energon and soon Barricade and Blitzwing joined them. Ignoring the pitiful sight, Cyclonus, Scourge and Skyquake steadily consumed their share of energon. After a few moment of ingesting the last of the energon, the three rejuvenated Decepticons stood tall among the rest.

"Now, let us depart so that we may locate our lost leader." Cyclonus transformed and jetted into the sky followed by Scourge.

Skyquake did not immediately follow. _Your leader, Cyclonus? We'll see about that._

From an overhead outcropping out of visible range of the Decepticons, Rodimus Prime, Grimlock and Tempest watched as Skyquake took off. "Wow," Rodimus whispered. "These guys are hurtin'. I never thought I'd feel sorry for the Decepticons."

"Me Grimlock, not feel sorry. Me Grimlock laugh." Grimlock chuckled probably the most menacing laugh that Rodimus and Tempest ever heard.

"You've got a sick mind, Grimlock." Tempest said.

"He _needs _a mind for it to be sick." Rodimus joked.

Tempest scanned the Decepticons closely, trying to determine if her assumptions were correct. "I don't see Breakaway or the others. You don't think…"

"We'd have to assume the worst at this point, but…" Rodimus took in a full view of the 'Con's situation. Something didn't add up. "These 'Cons are way too weak to have taken the others. They couldn't have been at the games."

"Maybe new Decepticons make big trouble." Grimlock said a little bit too loud.

"Keep it down, you big bozo." Rodimus said.

"Grimlock might be right, for once," Tempest said. "I don't recognize these new Decepticons."

"Let's regroup with the others." Rodimus Prime said.

Moving as quietly as they could, Rodimus Prime, Grimlock and Tempest went to vacate their hiding spot. Grimlock's tail, unfortunately, scraped up against the outcropping and knocked loose a piece of rock. The troupe went still as the rock tumbled down to where the Decepticons were squatting. Rodimus, already mentally chastising himself for bringing Grimlock in the first place, waited for something to happen. When nothing happened, they continued on. They stopped again when they heard a faint whining sound approaching from exactly where the Decepticons were found. From up above, a bizarre looking spaceship, colored in the scheme of Sixshot, came bearing down on the Autobots. He fired on them, driving them back up the hill and then in one fluid motion, transformed into a massive tank and fired.

The blast sent Rodimus tumbling down the other side of the hill while Tempest took off into the air in jet form. Grimlock stood his ground against the tank as it slowly made its way to him. It took another shot at the Dinobot, but Grimlock didn't budge. Grimlock spewed a stream of fire at Sixshot and engulfed him, but then Sixshot emerged in another alt form; a winged wolf. Grimlock was unprepared but still held his ground as Sixshot charged at him. They collided and tumbled down the hill, and Rodimus, who was already at the bottom, jumped to the side. Rodimus heard another whining sound coming from above and spotted another spaceship, in the colors of Quickswitch, jetting right toward him. Two other space crafts, Dreadwind and Darkwing, flanked Quickswitch.

Before they could all take a shot, Tempest was on top of them and fired away. The attack drew the attention of Quickswitch and he went in pursuit of Tempest. Dreadwind and Darkwing stayed on Rodimus, who assumed truck form and started rolling for his life. From above, Dreadwind and Darkwing fired on Rodimus furiously; most if not of their shot missed him completely. In spite of his heavy vehicle form, Rodimus was still able to drive at high speeds. He made quick, random turns and made it hard for Dreadwind and Darkwing to hit him. Unexpectedly, Rodimus drove right into the hoard of weaker Decepticons, sending several of them flying. But he didn't expect to find a drill tank coming right for him. It was Quickswitch and he came through the crowd of 'Cons. Then he transformed into a hovercraft and raced for Rodimus. Rodimus quickly assumed proto form and hopped over the hovercraft.

Meanwhile, Grimlock and Sixshot in his winged wolf form snapped and clawed at each other. Grimlock made good use of his tail, swinging it into Sixshot and taking him down. Sixshot assumed the form of an off-road vehicle and raced right for the Dinobot. Grimlock spewed more of his fire breath at Sixshot, but Sixshot was already back in proto form and in the air. He assumed yet another form; a gun, and opened fire on Grimlock. Unprepared, Grimlock was knocked down with a thud. Sixshot returned to proto form and stood with his foot on the T-Rex's neck.

"If that's all you Autobots got, then I don't you chances." Sixshot gloated.

Grimlock, in sheer determination, transformed to his hulking robot form and threw Sixshot off of him. Pounding his fist together, Grimlock declared, "Me Grimlock say, it clobberin' time! Learned that from Wreck-Gar."

"I don't know what a Wreck-Gar is, and I don't care," Sixshot said. "You wanna go, then let's go."

They charge at each other and simultaneously threw a fist. All the while, Tempest was locked in a two-on-one dog fight with Dreadwind and Darkwing. The Decepticon duo used a strategy; one would chase Tempest from behind while the other attempted to slam into her head on. But Tempest was a much better flier than they thought; she saw through their plan and used it against them. At the very last minute, Tempest yawed right, and Dreadwind and Darkwing collided. Dreadwind got the worst of it and crashed while in proto form. Darkwing was still airborne and still battling Tempest. Something in Tempest caused her to assume proto form in midflight and fire on Darkwing. Darkwing took the shot but kept coming.

"I might go offline, but not before you, Autobot." he declared.

"Have it your way." Tempest muttered and transformed back to jet form.

She gunned her engine and made a beeline for Darkwing. They were locked on each other in a game of chicken, and Darkwing expected Tempted to dodge at the last moment. Tempest didn't even bank; instead she went faster. Then came the collision, and Darkwing was sent spiral to the ground. He transformed and slammed right into Dreadwind. Tempest was unscathed as she returned to her proto form and watched the two 'Cons trip over each other. Then she was suddenly blasted from behind and plummeted to the ground. The culprit; Fracture. She sauntered and stood over Tempest with an evil smirk.

"Stupid Autobot bitch. Never turn your back on your opponent."

Rodimus Prime was trying his best to deal with Quickswitch, who had taken on a beast form like a puma. Quickswitch had Rodimus pinned to the ground, snapping at him as Rodimus held him back. Rodimus was barely able to kick the beast off him, went to grab his fallen gun. Quickswitch went to pounce on Rodimus and was met with a straight shot and blown back.

Rodimus quickly pressed his fingers to his head. "Sky Lynx, we need backup, NOW!" Rodimus was suddenly blasted to the ground by another form of Quickswitch; this one was a hovering pistol.

"This doesn't have to end badly," Quickswitch said. "Stand down, now."

Rodimus had his special weapon, the energy crossbow, trained on the hovering pistol. He could still hear Grimlock and Sixshot battling it out. He saw Tempest in the grip of Blitzwing and Barricade. He heard more commotion and a moment later, Grimlock was thrown to the ground next to him. Sixshot, Darkwing and Dreadwind had their guns trained on the two of them. Rodimus didn't like these odds.

"Look around; you're surrounded," Quickswitch said and returned to proto form. He brandish a pair of proton blasters. "We have your comrade. Surrender now and she won't be hurt."

"Grimlock say, he not surrender. Grimlock die first."

"Be reasonable, Autobot," Quickswitch said. "I certainly don't want to harm your friend, but I can't speak for the other Decepticons."

Forget about me, Rodimus. These metal bastards have to have Breakaway hidden away somewhere. Take them out." Tempest shouted and was slapped shut by Fracture.

"Keep your mouth shut, traitor." she said.

Rodimus Prime knew that right now, so early in his leadership of the Autobots, that he was in huge predicament. Optimus Prime had to have been in the same position on more than one occasion. There was no telling what the 'Cons would do to Tempest if Rodimus didn't cooperate. There was no evidence that they had Breakaway or Ultra Magnus and Kup. Rodimus Prime wasn't about to risk Tempest's wellbeing. Now was the time to negotiate.

"We didn't come here looking for a fight." he said.

"Yet, here you are," Sixshot said. "You tryin' to cramp my style, Autobot. Not a smart move."

"Dial it down a notch, brother." Quickswitch said.

"We came searching for some missing Autobots. We acted on the assumptions that the Decepticons abducted them, probably as retaliation for driving you from Cybertron." Rodimus explained, all the while discreetly sending an electronic message to Sky Lynx.

"Likely story," Blitzwing said. "I say we waste these Autobot punks, starting with the turncoat."

"Try it, three-way loser." Tempest snapped.

"Ha! You got Spark, sweetheart. I like that." Sixshot quipped.

Rodimus glanced at Tempest, then at Quickswitch. "You seem like a smart Decepticon, whoever you are. Let Tempest go and… you can have me."

"Who do you think you are, Autobot?" Sixshot laughingly asked.

"I'm Rodimus Prime, leader of the Autobot. Don't you think I'd be a more valuable hostage?" Rodimus said.

"Really? Sentinel Prime put up more of a fight than you." Sixshot stated.

"Sentinel Prime? Isn't he dead?" Darkwing asked. Dreadwind shrugged.

"Is _that _what they say?" Sixshot said, almost implying something.

"That enough, Sixshot," Quickswitch studied Rodimus Prime thoroughly. Then he turned to Blitzwing and Barricade. "Let her go. We'll take him instead."

Blitzwing and Barricade exchanged glances before ultimately releasing Tempest. Tempest glared at Fracture, who sneered at her. She sneered right back, and Fracture callously winked at her. Tempest walked by Rodimus as he did her, and she took his place beside Grimlock who was still spoiling for a fight. Sixshot, Dreadwind and Darkwing still kept Tempest and Grimlock in full view, ready to take a shot if they got out of hand. Rodimus Prime soon found himself in the grip of Barricade and Blitzwing.

"Just one thing; Rodimus Prime; I said I wouldn't hurt your friends," Quickswitch said before driving his fist into Rodimus Prime's chassis. "I didn't say anything about you."

Rodimus had fallen to his knees, held still by Blitzwing and Barricade, while Tempest tried to help him. "You cosmic rust scum." Try as she might, Tempest was held at gun point by Darkwing and Dreadwind.

Sixshot pushed passed Tempest, rubbing his knuckle together as Rodimus Prime struggled. "Oh, this is gonna be fun." And Sixhot reared back with his right fist, ready to deliver the first of many blow to come.

* * *

><p>Author's note: And scene, err, something like that. Anyway, I thought it best to stop here and pick up next chapter. I even threw in a G. reference. Try to find it and leave a review. YOOOOOO JOE!<p> 


	6. Fallen To Light

Disclaimer: Hi, all. I got another chapter ready for your reading (and possible drooling) pleasure. Let's skip the disclaimer and get straight to it, shall we?

* * *

><p>Chapter VI<p>

Location: Chaar

Rodimus Prime took a massive right hook to the face from Sixshot, rattling him as Tempest and Grimlock were helpless to do anything. Sixshot threw another, harder blow to Rodimus' face, and then drove his knee in that very same spot. Grimlock was becoming agitated at the sight of his leader and friend being assaulted without a fight. Sixshot glanced at the Dinobot and laughed his way, and Grimlock couldn't take it. He quickly assumed T-Rex form, knocking Dreadwind and Darkwing away.

"Grimlock not watch no more." he roared and charge despite Tempest's attempts to stop.

"Stop, Grimlock. Stand down." Rodimus shouted as Sixshot brought out his guns, pointing one at Rodimus and the other at Tempest. Grimlock stopped dead.

"I'd listen to 'im, Grimster," Sixshot said. "At least for the girl's sake."

Grimlock kill Decepticons, kill all Decepticons."

"GRIMLOCK," Rodimus bellowed louder than anyone expected. Surprisingly, Grimlock listened. "This won't help any of us. Listen to me; you have to protect Tempest, understand?"

Grimlock growled at the 'Cons. "Grimlock… understand." And he returned to robot form.

"I can handle whatever these 'Cons dish out. Trust me." Rodimus claimed, even though he had no idea what was coming.

"I admire you courage, Rodimus Prime," Quickswitch said. "You're going to need it."

"I'll bet!" Rodimus converted his left hand into his buzz saw melee weapon and sliced at Barricade.

The weapon caught Barricade directly in the shoulder, leaking fluid from the open wound. Blitzwing went right on the attack, missing a wild swing. Rodimus drove his elbow into the Triple Changer's face and soon after that, hip tossed him into Barricade. As all this happened, Dreadwind and Darkwing lowered their guard, and Grimlock and Tempest fought them off. Grimlock returned to T-Rex form and charge, literally, headlong into Sixshot. The force of the blow carried both of them into Quickswitch before Sixshot was thrown down. He rebounded and assumed his winged wolf form, while Quickswitch assumed puma form. Tempest fought off Dreadwind and Darkwing, eventually going back to back with Rodimus Prime.

"It's four against two, Rodimus. I don't like the odds." Tempest said, unleashing a pair of wrist mounted hook blades.

"Whose odds, us or them?" Rodimus quipped, bringing out his crossbow to go with his buzz saw.

Tempest simply smirked. The four Decepticons, one by one, charged the two Autobots with intense fury. Rodimus Prime and Tempest began fighting them off with fury. They remained back to back while turning in a tight circle, effectively keeping the Decepticons at bay. Grimlock battled back against the combined might of Sixshot and Quickswitch in their respective animal form. The other, weakened Decepticons, along with Soundwave and Fracture, watched from the sidelines as the three Autobots fought to survive.

Eventually, Tempest and Rodimus broke off as they went to battle singlehandedly, one to two Decepticons each. Rodimus managed to score a hit with his crossbow against Blitzwing on the shoulder and then slash Barricade across the torso. Tempest used her hook blades to literally throw Dreadwind into Darkwing. Dreadwind was upright quickly, producing an axe and charged for Tempest. Tempest charged at Dreadwind, but in a surprise, she vaulted right over him and went right for Darkwing. She rolled a quick missing salvo round and landed a straight kick to his jaw. Dreadwind tried a sneak attack but Tempest countered and punched him out, followed by flipping over and driving her blades into his back. Then she kicked Dreadwind into Darkwing.

"Damn, I love these blades." she quipped.

Rodimus Prime was fairing nearly as well as Tempest, although his technique was less refined against Barricade and Blitzwing. He took a series of potshot at the Triple Changer's tank mode with his crossbow while battling back at Barricade with his buzz saw. In one motion, Rodimus sliced off Barricade's already damaged arm and threw it at his face. Blitzwing, still in tank mode, rolled at Rodimus Prime and fired on him. Rodimus dodged left and sprinted for the tank, eventually grabbing onto the barrel. Blitzwing transformed to jet form and took off with Rodimus hanging on. Rodimus used his buzz saw on Blitzwing, causing him to barrel roll. It worked, and Rodimus hit the ground and rolled upright and quickly transformed. Blitzwing was coming in a dive right at Rodimus only to fly over. Rodimus kept driving, crushing Barricade's severed arm in the process.

"C'mon! I needed that." Barricade bellowed.

Ignoring the whining Decepticon, Rodimus Prime picked up speed and was now racing right for Tempest and Darkwing and Dreadwind. "Coming through!"

Tempest moved immediately followed by Dreadwind. Darkwing was slower to move and paid for it. Rodimus didn't slow down and plowed right into Darkwing, knocking him down on his back. Then Rodimus rolled over Darkwing and crushed his face and body beneath the wheels. Once Darkwing was rubble, Rodimus Prime returned to proto form and faced Tempest. She seemed to like what she saw, while Dreadwind tried to sneak up behind her. In one swift motion, Tempest spun in a complete 360, hook blades extended out. The next moment, Dreadwind crumpled to the ground, his severed head rolling away from his limp body.

"Remind me to thank Wheeljack for these babies." she said to Rodimus.

"We get out of this mess, I'll thank him for both of us." Rodimus said.

Grimlock continued to duel with the Six Changers. The puma form of Quickswitch swiped at the T-Rex with his metal claws. The winged wolf that was Sixshot snapped and lunged at Grimlock, and succeeded in digging his teeth into the beast's leg. Quickswitch saw an opening and lunged for Grimlock, but Grimlock whipped the puma with his tail. The momentum threw the winged wolf to the ground, and Grimlock spewed more fire at the two Six Changers. The flame engulfed them, but Sixshot charged right back out and assumed tank form and fired. The salvo scored a direct hit to Grimlock, but he was still standing and kicked the tank backward. Quickswitch was already airborne in jet form and fired at the T-Rex. Luckily, Rodimus Prime and Tempest appeared at Grimlock's side and fired away, and Quickswitch was forced to disengage. All the while, Fracture and Soundwave and the rest of the Decepticons looked on. Fracture in particular was only slightly amused.

Barricade approached with what was left of his arm and said, "Hey, you guys mind lending a hand?"

Fracture chuckled at how foolish Barricade sounded, "Good one, Barricade!"

Motor Master lumbered forward. "That's it," he said. "I'm done sitting on the sideline. Stunticons, unite."

The Stunticons, in spite of their weakened and sluggish state, joined together. Moment later, the massive form of Menasor stood above the Autobots and he started lumbering toward them. The Constructicons and Combaticons followed suit, merging into Devastator and Bruticus respectively. Each of them was far more sluggish in movement than usual, yet they towered over the Autobots.

"Uh, Rodimus?" Tempest said.

"Yeah?"

"Now would be a good time to retreat."

Menasor lunged in, and Rodimus reflexively opened fire on him. The shot blasted the giant's left arm off, and Dead End crashed to the ground. Undeterred, Menasor went to stomp on the Autobots, but Tempest took a shot and at the right leg, sending Breakdown flying. It didn't take much after that, and Menasor was beaten within minutes. It didn't stop Devastator and Bruticus from charging. The Autobots opened fire on the hulks, and they were actually causing some considerable damage. But the two gestalts kept lumbering forward and forcing the Autobots back. Suddenly, an explosion rocked Devastator and he disengaged. Bruticus was next to take a shot and he disengaged into his components.

The Autobots looked to where the blast originated. Sky Lynx came swooping down and opened fire on the Decepticons. A hatch on his transport module opened, and Arcee and Springer joined in the assault. The 'Cons, the healthier ones anyway, returned form but were quickly overwhelmed. Sky Lynx landed and blasted crater to drive the 'Cons back.

"Might I provide assistance, Rodimus?" he said.

"You're timing is impeccable, Sky Lynx," Rodimus snidely implied. "Autobots, fall back."

The Autobots made a break for Sky Lynx as he provided cover fire. Grimlock was inside first while Tempest and Rodimus continued firing. Tempest made an attempt to enter the shuttle when she was suddenly struck in the back of the knee by a shot from Fracture. Springer jumped out to help her while Rodimus and Arcee provided cover. With Tempest on his arm, Springer assisted her into the shuttle before he entered. Arcee followed, but Rodimus continued to fire on the Decepticons. Eventually, he entered the shuttle but was suddenly shot in the back by Sixshot. He collapsed on the deck right in front of Arcee.

"Rodimus. NO!"

"Sky Lynx, get us out of here!" Springer said.

"Hold on to you servos, Autobots." Sky Lynx announced as he took off toward the sky.

Sixshot watched the shuttle disappear into the stars, chuckling to himself as Quickswitch joined him. "Well, that was satisfying, huh, brother?"

"Did you stop to consider that they wanted to talk?" Quickswitch asked.

"I fight. Does it matter why they came," Sixshot said and took stance to his brother. "You ain't gettin' sympathetic on me, are you, Quickswitch?"

Quickswitch stood straight up to Sixshot, face to face. "They didn't shoot first." With that, Quickswitch walked away, leaving Sixshot to ponder if he could trust him.

* * *

><p>Location: Quintessa<p>

Blackarachnia led Elita One and Breakaway several miles across Quintessa, being careful to avoid the indigenous population and any roaming guards. When the Black Widow spider came to a halt and assumed proto form, she concealed herself behind some metal underbrush. This was indication to Elita and Breakaway to do the same. Up ahead of the trio stood a tower or spire of intricate, almost alien, design. Two Allicon guardsmen stood watch at the front entrance. Breakaway peaked up over the cover and sank right back down.

"So that's it, huh," he said. "Casa de Quintesson," When he noticed Elita glancing at him in confusion, Breakaway said, "I learned that from World Wide Web on Earth."

Elita dismissed Breakaway's oddness and refocused on the task at hand. "So, Magnus and Kup are being held in there?"

"Doubting me already, are we," Blackarachnia said. "Now you know how it feels. So, what are you two going to do?"

"We go in, rescue our friends and get out. Quick and simple." Elita One said.

"Really? You didn't seem too eager to rescue me," Blackarachnia said. "Or maybe you're just saying all that for the flyer's sake, so that when you get in, you'll abandon him the first chance you get. Once a betrayer, always a betrayer."

"You really want to do this now, when there are two Autobots and a human in serious danger?" Elita One said.

"Why not? You turned your back on me, so why should I expect otherwise?" Blackarachnia said accusingly.

Elita had more than enough and faced her former friend. "You know, I've had it up to my optics with you condescending accusations."

"I'm just warming up, because it wasn't bad enough you abandoned me. You let the Quintessons experiment on me, turn me into this creature, this monster, this… Predacon," Blackarachnia continued to rant. Then she took it too far when then she added, "I wonder; what would do if the Quintessons experimented on Optimus Prime?"

"Don't you dare, Blackarachnia. Don't you dare…" Elita warned.

"As bad as I got," Blackarachnia continued. "Optimus would've gotten much worse. And you… wouldn't… care."

Elita had finally heard enough and tried to lunge at Blackarachnia, but Breakaway stopped her. "Elita, don't. She's not worth it."

Elita One glared at Blackarachnia, who had a sadistic smirk on her face. "I'm fine, Breakaway. Let me go." she said, and Breakaway did.

"There's a hidden side entrance nearby that I used to escape." Blackarachnia said, Elita One stormed off the direction the spider indicated. Blackarachnia was about to follow when Breakaway stopped her.

"I might not have the full details between you two, but Elita damn sure doesn't deserve all this grief, especially from you." he said.

Blackarachnia smirked at the young flyer and leaned in so her face was inches from hers. She rubbed her sharp finger under his chin, as if trying to seduce him. "You know what, kid? You're kind of cute when you try to be a grown up. It's… sexy!" And she winked at Breakaway.

"I already got a girlfriend." Breakaway stated.

"Not for long." Blackarachnia whispered

Breakaway pushed Blackarachnia back and stormed off, but he stopped short. "In case you hadn't heard, Optimus Prime didn't make it."

Blackarachnia was taken aback; Optimus Prime was… dead? How? When? "Wait; Optimus is dead," she said, to which Breakaway nodded. "What about… what about Ironhide?"

Breakaway simply kept going, leaving Blackarachnia to sink to her knees in shock. Right then and there, images of her past life as Chromia came flooding back into her mind. Ironhide, her Spark mate since the Great War, was gone and she didn't realize it. Questions arose; how did it happen? When? Why? Why did it have to be Ironhide? Blackarachnia felt like she was about to shut down, not from a lack of energon because she had plenty of it, but from sheer disbelief of knowing her Spark mate was dead. She missed so much of her former life, and she blamed the Quintessons, not Elita One, for all of it. Rising to a stance, Blackarachnia went on to catch up with Elita and Breakaway.

* * *

><p>Kup really hated being on Quintessa, especially after his last unintended visit. He hated the wildlife, especially from the lakes. He hated the Allicons, which was understandable since the Universal Greeting failed miserably last time. He hated those rabid, steel chomping Sharkticons. He hated the Quintessons and their mock-up justice system. He most certainly hated being strapped down in a chair while Deliberata performed some kind of mock interrogation.<p>

"So, Kup, you are Cybertron's chief of security, are you not?" said Deliberata.

"Oh not at all. You see, I'm the damn chief dishwasher. Name's Teaspoon, squid head!" Kup snapped.

"Your snide remarks and unwillingness to cooperate are transparent. They are also unnecessary," Deliberata said, almost like he was gloating. "We are aware that Cybertron is militarily secure at this moment, and that conquest is at this current juncture… unwise."

"Yeah, the planetary laser would probably reduce all of you Quintessons to fragments." Kup said snidely.

"A pity they were of no use to you when Unicron attacked your planet." Deliberata stated.

Kup was so taken aback that he had no idea what to think. "How… how do you know about Unicron?"

But Deliberata said nothing and hovered away. He motioned to the Guardsmen and they released Kup from his shackles and dragged him away. Kup caught a glance of another Quintesson, clearly larger and more hideous than Deliberata. By definition, he must have been the leader, but Kup noticed something else about the Quintesson; he appeared to more bestial than normal. Kup could scarcely see a crimson face with yellow eyes within an animalistic maw before he forced away by his escort. After Kup was taken away, Deliberata approached the bestial Quintesson.

"My lord Alpha Q, I must admit that that one is quite persistent," Deliberata said. "If a little… disrespectful."

"It is to be expected from many like him, Deliberata," said Alpha Q. "Be that as it may, they still suspect nothing. What of the one called Rodimus Prime?"

"He has been gravely injured, and as yet to learn of our involvement." Deliberata explained.

"He will learn soon enough…" Alpha Q went silent, almost thoughtful. "Yes. She returns to us at last."

"Blackarachnia?"

"Yes, and she brings with her Elita One and the flyer."

"I shall send our guards to capture them, my lord." Deliberata said and went to leave.

"No," Alpha Q said. "Let them come to us. Our _pets_ will handle them. "In the meantime, Deliberata, I suggest you bring to me… the human."

* * *

><p>Rodimus wasn't looking good. The blow to his back wasn't nearly as bad when Springer looked it over, nor was the damage to Tempest's knee. But Rodimus was unresponsive even as Springer and Arcee turned him over. They could see his optics staring to flicker, just as Optimus Prime's did shorting before… No one wanted to even think about that.<p>

"C'Mon, Rodimus," Springer said. "Talk to me, buddy. Don't you dare fade on us yet. C'mon!"

"Rodimus, please, say something. Please, for Primus' sake, speak to me." Arcee begged.

"Sky Lynx, get us to the Junk Planet as fast as possible. Maybe Wreck-Gar and his crew can help." Springer said.

"Th… the Junk Planet," Sky Lynx incredulously repeated, "Where those primitive Junkions reside? Wouldn't Cybertron be a more appropriate destination?"

"I'm not arguing with you, Sky Lynx," Springer snapped. "Cybertron's too far out of range anyway."

Rodimus started to reach for Springer. "Springer…" he said weakly.

"Rodimus," Arcee responded. "Hang on, Rodimus. You have to hang on."

"We're taking you to Wreck-Gar," Springer explained. "He'll get you fixed up."

"Too late; won't make it," Rodimus started tapping on his chest. "…Matrix… Springer…"

Arcee tried to mentally interpret what Rodimus was saying. "Springer, I'm not sure, but I think he's preparing to pass the Matrix to you."

"What? Whoa, not me. I'm no leader," Springer tried to say even as Rodimus reached for him, just as Optimus reached for Ultra Magnus in his final moments. "Rodimus, I can't take the Matrix. And you can't die on us like this. Not now."

"Til all are one." Rodimus said before his optics dimmed.

Nothing. Rodimus Prime seemingly went offline only a short time into his reign as Autobot leader. The Autobots were left in stunned silence. Arcee turned away, covering her optics. Springer stayed right where he kneeled, unable to look away. Tempest curled into almost a ball of metal and buried her head into her knees. But Grimlock approached Rodimus Prime's body. He lowered his heavy snot and sniffed the body. No one tried to stop him, unless he decided to eat Rodimus. Quickstrike would, but Grimlock wasn't as stupid as many thought.

"Me Grimlock say, Rodimus not dead."

"Grimlock, leave him alone." Arcee said.

"No, look," Grimlock pointed at the body. "Me Grimlock positive, he not see Matrix come out. Why Matrix not come out?"

Springer was about to tell the T-Rex off when he noticed Rodimus hadn't turned ash gray. "He might be right."

"What do you mean," Tempest asked. "Rodimus isn't dead, or is it something else?"

"Look at the body," Springer said and pointed at Rodimus. "He should've lost him color by now, just like Optimus did."

"He shut himself down," Arcee realized. "But why?"

Springer had no answer.

* * *

><p><em>((I'm not the least bit sure if a self induced shutdown was the right move. I'm not sure of a lot of things. But I am sure now that the Decepticons weren't behind the abductions of three of my closest allies. Someone is behind it all and I realized that the only way to know is to journey into the Matrix itself. Risky, foolhardy, but necessary if I'm going to find out the truth.<em>

_It feels like I'm flying through a tunnel of light, yet I can't feel my body moving. It's like I'm completely still while everything else is moving around me. I'm awestruck and then I'm seeing images appearing of moments that happened eons ago. I can see images of Cybertron during the Golden Age, and the Thirteen Primes ruling everything. So beautiful._

"_You are witnessing something that has long since passed, Rodimus Prime." A voice said. I don't quite recognize it, but I'll feel safer._

"_Who said that," I say as an ethereal figure appears before me. "Who are you?"_

_The image takes the shape of a god-like figure of pure silver and gray. "I am the Allspark from which all Cybertronians emerge; the eternal light of justice and peace."_

_I never expected this, never thought I'd be speaking to the one that created the Cybertronian race. "You're him; our maker."_

"_Yes… I am Primus."))_

* * *

><p>Author's note: I'm stopping right here and I will pick things up next time. Actually, there's quite a bit going on in this chapter. For one, Dreadwind and Darkwing are officially dead. Poor 'Cons didn't even have chance to combine. Sorry, fan boys!<p>

Blackarachnia and Elita One continue to have issues and we caught a brief moment of Blackarachnia recalling her former life. I almost feel sorry for her. Almost. She's popular to be sure, but also a total bitch that seems to be hitting on Breakaway. Tempest will be pissed.

Obviously, Rodimus Prime isn't dead. Not yet anyway!

This chapter is also marked for the appearance of Alpha Q and Primus. Yes, that's right; Primus. Pretty cool, huh. What do you think so far?


	7. Galvatron Returns

Disclaimer: The story continues. I really don't own the rights to…. Aah, forget it. You know the drill.

* * *

><p>Chapter VII<p>

_((I'm in complete awe as Primus, our creator, the Allspark of every Cybertronian that ever existed, studies me curiously. I feel small before him, as small as when Unicron attacked Cybertron. But instead of malice, Primus looks on me with genuine benevolence. I kneel before him, feeling unworthy to be in his presence. I wonder if Optimus felt that way when he took up the Matrix for the first time, and if he did, I could probably use his advice right now._

"_Rise, young warrior," Primus says to me. "You have no need to bow before me. Optimus Prime spoke highly of you. But I sense you did now enter the Matrix to offer greetings."_

_I want to rise up but I feel intimidated by Primus' presence. I do so anyway. "I… I came to learn more about the origins of the Transformers."_

"_You seek the identity of those who abducted you comrades." Primus concludes._

"_Yes." I say to him._

"_You risk much to come here, Rodimus Prime. Should something befall you in the physical world," Primus explains. "Your Spark shall forever reside within the Matrix. You will be unable to return."_

"_I'll take my chances." I say._

"_You are brave, just as Optimus Prime before you," Primus says and holds out his hand. "Come, for I have much to show you."_

_Even though I'm reluctant, I take the hand of Primus. Everything around us suddenly shifts into a tunnel of multi colored light. We're moving so fast that I can't even catch a glimpse of anything that passes by us. I find myself wondering if Optimus Prime experienced something like this. As Primus is leading me through this tunnel, I see a series of images appear at either side of us. They move at our pace, offering a clear view of past events such as the moment the Ark launched from Cybertron and when it eventually crashed on Earth. I see the siege of Autobot City and the final battle between Optimus and Megatron. Then I see Unicron as he attacks Cybertron, and I see myself opening the Matrix to destroy him._

_Primus leads me further down the tunnel of light, showing me images now of Cybertron during the Golden Age. A great face appears to be dormant, while thirteen figures stand before it. Thirteen… the Thirteen Primes, the first creations of Primus… Wait. We're going further to another moment I don't recognize. I see creatures and I feel as if I've seen them before. Then a monstrous beast appears._

"_What… what is this, Primus," I finally ask. "What are you showing me?"_

"_I show to you what once was, Rodimus Prime," Primus says. "I show the past as it happened, before the Great Wars that had ravaged Cybertron, before there were Autobots and Decepticons, before the Thirteen Primes. You have encountered these aliens before."_

"_I have…" I say, confusion overtaking my mind. "But I don't understand."_

"_Before the Cybertronian race, there was another; cold, emotionless creatures the created two forms of sentient machines, one for domestic labor and one for military, "Primus explains to me," These creatures are my creations and your inventors. You know, and now you must confront them."_

_I never expected this, not from Primus or from anyone. But now I know and it's too horrifying to fathom. "Our inventors were…" I can so scarcely bring myself to speak the truth I've learned. "…The Quintessons?"_

_I see Primus starting to fade away. "You know now, Rodimus Prime, and I must bid you farewell."_

"_No wait, this can't be right. The Quintessons can't be our inventors," I watch as Primus fades away, and call out to him, "Primus!"))_

* * *

><p>Rodimus Prime came back online with a jerk, his mouth opened wide as if catching his breath despite being a machine. He darted his optics to and fro to see where he was at the moment. The surroundings were familiar as Rodimus realized he was still within the transport module of Sky Lynx. Then Arcee appeared in his view along with Springer and Tempest.<p>

"You're alive," Arcee said and hugged Rodimus as he was sitting up. "Thank Primus you've come back to us." Rodimus didn't respond.

"What happened to you, Rodimus?" Springer asked.

"Did you go offline or just slip into stasis lock?" Tempest added.

"Me Grimlock, told you he not dead."

"Hey, we're just glad you didn't eat him, Grimlock," Springer quipped. "What happened, Rodimus?"

Rodimus still didn't respond. He just stared at Springer. He started to try to stand up, which in itself was tough task. Springer and Arcee assisted Rodimus upright where he staggered and nearly lost his balance. But once he was mostly stable, Rodimus lumbered to the flight console on the deck. Sky Lynx of course was in full control, so the most anyone could do was direct him. Rodimus started pushing random switches; no it wasn't random. He was inputting something into Sky Lynx's navigation computer. Arcee rushed to his side but Rodimus didn't even glance at her.

"Rodimus, what are you doing?" she asked.

Rodimus ignored her. "Sky Lynx, I need you to set a course for the following coordinates," he said. "And try to get in contact with the Aerialbots. We might need their help."

"Message away. Rodimus, are you alright?" Sky Lynx asked, showing genuine concern for once.

"I'll tell when my head stops spinning," Rodimus leaned on the console and turned his head to Arcee. "I know where they are. Don't ask me how I know, I just know."

"You're scaring me, you know that, right?" Arcee said.

"That makes two of us." Rodimus said.

Tempest approached Rodimus with a worried look in her optics. "You said "they" as in Ultra Magnus and the others. Do you really know where they are?"

"I know exactly where they are, and I know who has them," Rodimus said. "I just hope it's not too late."

* * *

><p>Ultra Magnus leaned against the wall while Spike paced back and forth. The cell door opened, allowing the guardsmen to shove Kup into the cell. Deliberata followed, his hideous tentacles whipping every which way. Despite his attempt at retaliation, Kup was unable to get to the Quintesson as Ultra Magnus put a hand on his shoulder.<p>

"You alright, Kup?" Magnus asked

"I'll live, but that was the worst interrogation I've ever endured," Kup said. "And I've endured a lot of 'em."

"You, human," Deliberata spoke directly to Spike. "The Lord Alpha Q requests your presence."

"Stick it in your cramp shaft, freak." Spike defiantly said.

Deliberata only chuckled and directed the guardsmen to take Spike. Ultra Magnus and Kup saw the opportunity to strike, and strike they did. Ultra Magnus took the arm of one guardsman and drove his knee into its abdomen. He then took the lance and impaled the guardsmen from behind. Kup bashed his elbow into the other guardsman's chin before throwing it into the wall. The impact was so great that the guardsman shattered, as if it was poorly cobbled together. Ultra Magnus took the land and pointed it at Deliberata, who barely flinched.

"Okay, you mutant octopus, you're going to take to your master so we can have a little with him." Ultra Magnus demanded.

"And no funny business, squid head, or we'll make sure you don't get an appeal in this court." Kup added, now holding his own confiscated lance at Deliberata.

"Of course, Autobots. If you insist."

Deliberata led the Autobots and Spike to the court chamber, where the other Quintessons, and Alpha Q most likely, were waiting to render their brand of judgment. When they reached the court chamber, Kup realized that nothing much had change since his last visit. Same chamber, same pit full of Sharkticons ready for their meal. Two other Quintessons stood, or hovered rather, at opposite side of the familiar staircase. At the top of the staircase was Alpha Q, who clearly appeared more bestial than the rest of them. When they saw the Autobots with Deliberate as their hostage, oddly, they simply chuckled. Except for Alpha Q, who look contemptuously at them. Ultra Magnus held Deliberata near the edge of the pit, where the Sharkticons swirled around waiting for their meal.

"Alright, Quintessons, you have a choice, Release us, we make shark chum out of you buddy." Spike said.

Instead, the Quintessons laughed, and Alpha Q said, "You cannot threaten us, human. Do you not see it?"

"See what?" Ultra Magnus said.

"That we had engineered your escape from the beginning…" Alpha Q explained as a series of hatches opened around the chamber. "…So that we may sentence you all to your death."

A horde of Sharkticons and Allicons poured into the chamber, too many to count. Ultra Magnus and Kup readied themselves for the coming assault, while Spike stood between them for protection. The first of many Allicons rushed Ultra Magnus, who swiped at it with his stolen lance. The edge of the weapon sliced the Allicon across the face, tearing its optics out. One of the Sharkticons lunged for Kup and was slashed across the abdomen for its troubles. More Allicons and Sharkticons came lunging for the Autobots, and the Autobots held them off. In the chaos, Deliberata was thrown into the pit, where the swimming Sharkticons were waiting. It didn't end well for the hapless Quintesson.

Alpha Q and the other Quintessons watch in glee as the two Autobots fought off wave after wave of Allicons and Sharkticons. They were fairing well, taking down hordes of the bestial machines and ignoring the gleeful cackling of their masters. One Sharkticon climbed over the growing mass of broken beast and lunged at Ultra Magnus, only to be impaled onto his lance. Kup tripped up several Allicons at one time and drove his lance into one of them. Then Kup swung the lance like humans would a baseball bat, and the dead Allicon went flying into the others.

More Sharkticons and Allicons piled into the chamber, and Ultra Magnus and Kup kept fighting them off. But it was a losing battle, and the Quintessons knew it. They watched with maniacal enjoyment as the Autobots struggled. It would all be over soon. Then several Sharkticons and Allicons were blasted into pieces. From above. An Earth made fighter jet flew into view and fired its guns at the horde of beasts while completely missing Magnus and Kup. Still, more Sharkticons and Allicons advanced, only for another hail of fire from across the chamber.

Elita One came sprinting into the court chamber and firing anywhere and everywhere where one or more of the bestial robots might be. Breakaway transformed mid-flight and landed beside Ultra Magnus and Kup, taking pot shots at any Sharkticon and/or Allicon that was dumb enough to stand in his way. Several bestial robots gathered together ready to strike, but they were suddenly blanketed by a glowing blue web. The web seemed to drain them of their energy before Blackarachnia dropped down in front of them. Extended curved claws from her wrists, Blackarachnia lunged into the defenseless group of creatures and easily ripped them apart. Elita One joined up with Magnus and the others.

"What took you so long?" Magnus asked.

"Held up in traffic." Elita said.

"Hey Kup, you getting that feeling of Déjà Vu. I mean, we _have_ been here before." Breakaway said to Kup.

"I get that feeling often, kid." Kup said.

Ultra Magnus' attention drifted to Blackarachnia, who was ripping into the Sharkticons and Allicons singlehandedly. More bestial machines came around, and the Autobots fought them off relentlessly. Every Sharkticon or Allicon that came close was handily skewered and blasted into fragments. Blackarachnia tore into several Allicons by herself, at one point even ripping the head of one in half with her claws.

"Junkyard crap." She cursed out loud before tossing the body into the rest of horde.

Then the Sharkticons and the Allicons suddenly stopped their advance. They retreated back into the shadowy alcoves from which they came, and left the Autobots in a state of confusion. Blackarachnia was more agitated than confused. She glared at the Quintessons that were watching everything, specifically at Alpha Q, and she started to stalk toward the staircase. Alpha Q gave a silent chuckle at Blackarachnia as she approached, ignoring the Autobots. Spike got a look at Blackarachnia; he'd never seen anything like her. He also saw no indication of her being an Autobot or Decepticon.

"So, who's your friend?" he asked Elita.

"She's _not _my friend. Not anymore." Elita stated.

"Blackarachnia," Alpha Q said to the widow spider. "We had anticipated your imminent return to us. And, you brought Elita One with you."

Blackarachnia had a brief flashback, seeing Alpha Q leering down at her, while the other Quintessons changed her. "It was you, wasn't it? You did this to me."

"I merely observed as your true potential was unlocked." Alpha Q said in a less than flattering tone.

"You butchered and liquefied Firestar and Moonracer. You turned me into this animal," Blackarachnia shouted. "You took away my body, my life, so you can continue your sick experiments."

"It was pure necessity, my dear. And we have learned much since then," Alpha Q stated. "You were merely a template to a far greater cause. Behold, our newest creations."

A hatch opened at the far end of the court chamber, and the Autobots prepared for what was to come. It wasn't another horde of rabid Sharkticons and Allicons, but strange looking bestial machines. They all shared the same red, orange and black color scheme, but their forms were too different. The Quintesson had to have studied up on Earth, because these things resemble animal native to that planet. At the head of the pack was a robotic lion. At its right side was ravenous robotic tiger, which at the left roamed a massive bear and a growling wolf. An eagle appeared perched atop of the lion and the five beasts stopped short. A mechanized lion was at the head of the pack, flanking at its left by a robotic tiger and at the right by a massive bear. A robotic jackal appeared next to the tiger, and they snapped at each other. A mechanized eagle appeared and hovered above the beasts.

"What are these things?" Breakaway asked aloud.

"Let's see," Kup examined the five beasts. "A lion, a tiger, a bear, a jackal and an eagle. Looks the Quintessons did their homework on Earth wildlife."

"I present to you our finest creations; the eagle Divebomb, Rampage the tiger, Tantrum the jackal, the bear Headstrong and Razorclaw the lion," Alpha Q ran down the beasts one by one. "Behold; the Predacons."

Like the animals from which they were inspired, the Predacons circled and surrounded the Autobots, but they completely ignored Blackarachnia. She made no move to assist the Autobots, nor did she attempt to get to Alpha Q. She didn't seem to do much of anything except stare at the five Predacons as they surrounded the Autobots, ready to pounce at a moment's notice. Elita One saw Blackarachnia standing by and scowled.

"So," Breakaway said. "Who else thinks we're screwed?"

* * *

><p>Location: Thrull<p>

Planet Thrull looked nothing like a planet, but more like a stationary asteroid. A stationary asteroid whose barren landscape was permeated with pools of high-energy plasma. At least that was how Scourge saw it. He, Cyclonus and Skyquake approached the irregularly shaped world, ignoring the searing heat that shot from the surface. They all assumed proto form upon landing and their sensors were nearly overwhelmed by the heat. It was like they were standing at the mouth of one of Earth many volcanoes as it was about to erupt and spew lava forth.

"So, this is your ex-leader's resting place," Skyquake said. "Not much of an improvement over Chaar, but at least fewer whiny Decepticons to worry about."

"I'm picking some very faint energon readings a couple clicks from here." Scourge said.

"Then that is where we will find Galvatron. Let's go." Cyclonus said as he led the way.

The three Decepticons followed the signal, which was already faint with the intense heat around them. The heat made traversing the landscape nearly impossible, or would be had the 'Cons been organics. The worst thing the heat could do was scramble their visual sensors. The use of infrared, which Scourge suggested, wasn't a viable solution, and Cyclonus urged his comrades to watch their step. Skyquake was trailing behind Scourge and Cyclonus, and he cared little if at all if Galvatron was ever found. As far as he was concerned, he should by Decepticons' new leader. He believed firmly that Cyclonus and Scourge were simply wasting time, including his. Then Cyclonus and Scourge stopped and surveyed the scene. Mountains burst into flames in the distance, shooting molten rock into the sky.

"We're close. I'd say half-a-click away," Scourge said and looked around. "That way! I see something in the distance." He rushed on ahead.

Cyclonus was about to follow when Skyquake stopped him. "This is waste of time and resources, Cyclonus. Why don't you just acknowledge that I am the new leader of the Decepticons?"

"Because Galvatron still lives." Cyclonus said.

"In this place," Skyquake laughed and outstretched his arms. "How do you know he hasn't melted into scrap metal."

"I know because Galvatron because was created by Unicron himself, just as I and Scourge were created." Cyclonus said.

"That means nothing to me," Skyquake said back. "Like it or not, I'm taking over as the…"

"Hey," Scourge shouted from a short distance away. He was crouched by a pool of plasma, holding onto something. "I think I have something here. Cyclonus, help me."

Cyclonus rushed onward and went on to assist Scourge. Skyquake stood back, arms folded as Cyclonus and Scourge pulled a lava drenched form out of the pool. The lava reseeded, exposing a purple and silver metal body underneath. A giant gold cannon barrel dominated the right arm and the head was adorned by a purple crown. Scourge turned the body, confirming that he and Cyclonus had recover Galvatron. He appeared to be offline or in stasis lock, his optics were dimmed and he wasn't moving or responding. Skyquake cocked his head and chuckled a bit, apparently unimpressed.

"That's Galvatron? He's awfully small for a tyrant."

Ignoring Skyquake (easier said than done) Scourge checked Galvatron's vitals. He barely got a reading. "I'm not sure if he's in stasis lock or…"

Scourge was silenced when his throat was suddenly caught in a vice grip. Galvatron sat up slowly, eyeing Scourge with unchecked malice. He fumed with rage and his optics glowed in a crimson light. It was like Scourge had awakened a sleeping giant, and Galvatron slowly rose to his feet with the hapless Sweep still in his grasp. Then Galvatron tossed Scourge, with one hand, into the same pull of lava he'd been extracted from prior. Scourge landed with a splash of molten rock. Galvatron turned to Cyclonus, his most loyal soldier, and stalked toward him.

"M…Mighty Galvatron. You… You live again." Cyclonus said, and was met with a swift fist to his face.

Galvatron took hold of Cyclonus' head and pounded on him mercilessly in the face more. He drove his knee into his chassis and even shoved him into a rock formation. Galvatron stomped Cyclonus down repeatedly without surcease or care that Cyclonus was begging off after each hit. Then Galvatron took Cyclonus by the leg and tossed right into Scourge as he was emerging from the plasma pool. They both fell back in and Galvatron followed. He pulled both of them out of the pool, drove the head together and then tossed them on at a time back onto solid ground. All the while, Skyquake stood by and watched without a care.

"Galvatron, please stop! Please," Cyclonus begged off and tried to crawl away as Galvatron closed on him and Scourge. Then Cyclonus felt Galvatron's hands around his throat. "Please, it is I, Cyclonus, you're loyal subordinate. Please!"

Galvatron leered at Cyclonus and, with seemingly endless rage, said, "Cyclonus," Finally, Galvatron released Cyclonus and stormed backward. "You worthless pile of scrap. You have the gall to disturb my plasma bath. And you, Scourge," Galvatron pointed at Scourge, who was down on his back. "Where were you when Unicron swallowed me whole, or when I was drifting aimlessly through space," Galvatron was now shouting like a madman. "You uncoordinated piece of tinfoil."

Skyquake laughed aloud so Galvatron heard him. "So you're the infamous Galvatron, huh? Cyclonus and Scourge spoke of you highly. So far though, I'm not impressed."

"Who in the slagging melting Pit are you?" Galvatron demanded.

"I am Skyquake, and I now command the Decepticons."

"You, in command of the Decepticons. My Decepticons?" Galvatron snapped in anger.

Skyquake sauntered up to Galvatron until they were face to face. "Yes, my Decepticons. If you have problem with that then…"

Galvatron caught Skyquake directly in the throat, catching him off guard. Then Galvatron drove his knee Skyquake's chassis and followed with his elbow into the chin. Finally, Galvatron back tripped Skyquake and had crashed backward into the sulfur stained ground. Skyquake tried to get back only for Galvatron to buried the sole of his foot into the renegade brute's neck. Cyclonus and Scourge were finally upright and made no attempt to help Skyquake.

"The last would-be usurper met his end at my hands. Twice," Galvatron explained, all while grinding his heel down. "This is no one command greater than mine. You would do well to remember the difference, Skyquake," Galvatron removed his foot from Skyquake and turned to Cyclonus and Scourge. "Any further objections?" He aimed his particle cannon directly at them.

"None, not a one." Scourge said, hands held up in defense.

"We live only to serve you, Galvatron." Cyclonus said, his voice laced with terror.

"Good, and as for you, Skyquake," Galvatron said to Skyquake, who was slowly rising to his feet. "You have some potential, so I'll keep you around. For now!"

Skyquake glared at Galvatron. "I… I will work for you. For now!"

"Good, now then," Galvatron looked at Cyclonus and Scourge. He asked, menacingly, "Where… are… my… Decepticons?"

* * *

><p>Author's note: HE'S BACK! And he's really, REALLY pissed off. What better way for Galvatron to announce his return… then to beat the living ions out of his most loyal followers. Not sure if he's gone insane, but he's pretty damn close.<p>

Also, we witness the debut of the Predacons. Now, I actually altered the line-up by introducing Tantrum as a jackal and Headstrong as a bear, reason being that rhinos and bulls are generally considered to be herbivores. Or omnivores, who knows. But tell me what you think anyway.


	8. Attack Of The Predacons

Disclaimer: Sorry for the delay, folks. A whole slew of distractions, new video games, work, accidental deletions, hissy fits and the dreaded Writer's Block. Evil, evil, EVIL Writer's Block… I hate you so. Ah, right… I don't um, own anything involving Transformers.

* * *

><p>Chapter VIII<p>

Ultra Magnus hit the wall back-first with a sickeningly heavy boom, courtesy of the rabid Predacon lion called Razorclaw. The beast stalked its prey and lunged, but Ultra Magnus still had his stolen lance in hand. He positioned it sideways, causing Razorclaw to bite into the staff. Magnus held fast as Razorclaw clawed at him, barely out of reach. Meanwhile, Kup was keeping the massive Predacon bear known as Headstrong at a reasonable distance with his weapon. The bear swiped at Kup and growled and soon after, charged head long at him. Kup stood his ground and then a split second later sidestepped to the right. Headstrong's own momentum carried him into the wall head first, and he shook of the effect like it was nothing. Kup returned to a defensive stance when noticed Spike in plain sight, unsure what to do.

"Spike, get back. Find cover." he said.

Spike did exactly as he was told, backing away toward the wall farthest from the battle. There was no hiding spot, so Spike had to hope none of the Predacons would notice him. All the while, Breakaway was in the air being accosted by the fast moving eagle Divebomb. He didn't have his rifle with him, so Breakaway had rely solely on his vibroblade melee weapon. Divebomb swooped right passed him on many occasions, moving too fast for Breakaway to strike. Eventually, Divebomb slammed right into Breakaway and knocked out of the air. Breakaway hit the ground with enough force to rattle anyone nearby. Divebomb attempted to dive right at Breakaway but was blasted away from the far side.

The shot came from Elita One, who was attempting to hold off Tantrum the jackal and Rampage the tiger. Breakaway joined her, going back to back with her. Tantrum howled at them almost manically while Rampage silently growled. They were sizing up their targets and waiting for the right time to strike. Elita was actually doing the same.

"When I say so, duck, okay, kid?" she whispered enough for Breakaway to hear her.

Breakaway nodded. He waited for Elita to give a signal. Then Rampage lunged right at them. Elita and Breakaway ducked, letting Rampage to leap over them and slam into the also airborne Tantrum. The Predacons collided and hit the ground in a heap over each other. They righted themselves and briefly snapped at each other, as animals normally did in the wild. Elita was upright and smiled before Breakaway pulled her right back down. Divebomb flew over head, just missing Elita One by inches.

"Thanks, kid. LOOK OUT!" Elita rolled Breakaway down as Divebomb swooped in and missed them.

Now, as Breakaway noticed, Elita was on top of him. "Well, this is awkward."

"Don't worry! You're not my type." Elita helped Breakaway up.

"Did you just crack a joke?" he asked.

"What's a joke?" Elita asked.

Breakaway looked absolutely incredulous at Elita before they refocused on the assault by the Predacons. At that moment, Elita noticed that Blackarachnia was not involved in the fight. She was slowly ascending the staircase toward its apex, where Alpha Q was waiting and watching her. It was quite amusing to Alpha Q. Blackarachnia extended her claws just as two Quintesson guardsmen charged her, only to be cut down a nanosecond later. She then continued her advance, to which Alpha Q was nonplussed.

"What's wrong, Alpha Q," she said. "Scared stiff, knowing that your creation is about to kill you? You should be," Blackarachnia let it sink in before going on. "After everything you've done to me, to Firestar and Moonracer, I'm going to take my time gutting you."

"You wound me with your cruel words," Alpha Q mockingly said. "Do you not yet realize that I unlocked your true potential, stripped you of you primitive robotic trappings and remade you into a masterpiece of ingenuity?"

"You tortured and maimed me, and you murdered my friends, and for what," Blackarachnia snapped. "To start your own petting zoo? To unleash these mindless beasts?"

"Those beasts are your brethren, Blackarachnia. _You _are as much a Predacon as they are," Alpha Q stated callously. "You cannot deny this."

Blackarachnia had heard enough and moved to strike. But a scream was heard from below. Blackarachnia turned to spot Elita One pinned down by Rampage, who was snapping viciously at her. None of the other Autobots could get to her as they were preoccupied with the other Predacons. Blackarachnia was just about to make her move when Alpha Q chuckled at her. Directly at her. She turned back around and… froze. Alpha Q continued to laugh mockingly at her.

"A conundrum, Blackarachnia," he said. "You former ally stands at the brink of destruction, yet here I stand, defenseless. You could slay me, here and now."

Blackarachnia tensed and took one step forward, looking ready to pounce. Then at the last moment, she turned around and lunged at Rampage, tackling the tiger off of Elita One. It surprised Elita One when Blackarachnia fought off Rampage by herself before Tantrum tried to pounce on her. Elita regrouped and battled back at the jackal. Meanwhile, Breakaway was still struggling with Divebomb and Ultra Magnus and Kup went back to back in fighting off Razorclaw and Headstrong. At one point, Razorclaw bit into Magnus' left forearm and tore a chunk from it, while Headstrong slashed Kup across his chassis. Alpha Q continued to laugh, because he knew it was a losing battle for the Autobots. Eventually, the Predacon had the Autobots, and Blackarachnia and Spike, all cornered.

Then a loud boom sounded from overhead and a massive Earth shuttle with a blue underside flew into view. Ultra Magnus felt a wave of relief as Sky Lynx's transport module opened its hatch and Rodimus Prime appeared. Springer, Grimlock, Arcee and Tempest followed him out. They weren't alone; the Aerialbots emerged in the respective jet forms and flew in formation before transforming and landing.

"Everyone okay?" Rodimus asked.

"Yeah," Ultra Magnus said holding his forearm. "Nice of you to show up. Where've you been?

"We, uh, hit a snag."

Tempest got close to Breakaway. "You okay?" she asked.

"Takes more than a bunch of animals to keep me down." Breakaway said.

"Yeah, but these Predacons make the Sharkicons look like tinfoil." Kup commented.

"Enough," Alpha Q said and with a wave his lanky arm, ordered the Predacons to stand down. Then he glared directly at Rodimus Prime. "Ah, Rodimus Prime; the successor of the great Optimus Prime. You have… matured since you were last here."

Rodimus stepped forward, energy crossbow formed and at his side. "Just a hunch but I'm guessing you're Alpha Q."

"You know of me, do you," Alpha Q said sounding unsurprised. "Well, we Quintessons know all about you Cybertronians, and we know of the Matrix you carry within you."

Stunned silence washed over the rest of the Autobots, and Arcee whispered to Springer, "They know about the Matrix?"

"Yes, Arcee," Alpha Q said out loud and directly to Arcee. "The last remaining physical piece of Primus. The vessel carrying the wisdom of all who have been charged with its protection. The talisman that you, Rodimus, used to defeat Unicron."

"I've heard enough," Rodimus said and brought his crossbow up, aiming at Alpha Q. "I'm giving you one chance to let us leave without incident."

Alpha Q studied Rodimus Prime, smiling a twisted grin. "If you wish to leave, by all means. But, I strongly advice that you surrender the Matrix to me in exchange."

"You've got serious issues if you think I'm giving you the Matrix," Rodimus Prime said. "To put it bluntly, I'm not surrendering anything. Period."

Alpha Q hissed a sinister laugh. "I offered you the opportunity to do the right thing, and instead, you chose to oppose the Quintessons. So you have chosen," Alpha Q extended one lanky arm forward. "So shall it be. Predacons: exterminate them."

"And, here we go!" Breakaway muttered.

The Predacons roared, growled and screeched like the animal they were based on and started to advance on the Autobots. Grimlock, in T-Rex form, lumbered ahead of the group and stood tall against the Predacons. He roared as only he could, shaking the whole court chamber to its foundation. Unlike the more weak-willed Sharkitcons, the Predacons stood their ground and roared back at the Dinobot unafraid. Grimlock slammed his massive foot into the ground, causing a massive tremor and causing the Predacons, save Divebomb, to tumble onto each other.

"Grimlock, not fear puny animals," he said. "Grimlock, SMASH puny animals!"

The Predacons righted themselves and roared and growled before huddling together. Then something happened than none of the Autobots expected; all at once, the Predacons' bodies started shifting and changing. They began connecting to each other one by one until all that stood in their place was one hulking machine. It stood tall, towering over Grimlock and the other Autobots and lumbering toward them slowly. For the first time, the hulk spoke in a low and menacing tone…

"I am… Predaking."

Grimlock had to actually look up at the face of this creature calling itself Predaking. And he stood his ground. "Grimlock, not care how big you get. Grimlock, still SMASH!" He charged head long and seconds later was thrown clear across the chamber when Predaking back-handed him.

The Autobots stood in total shock at what they witnessed; Grimlock, the leader of the mighty Dinobots, beaten with one hand by a combiner no one had ever encountered. Predaking stalked toward the other Autobots, brandishing a massive sword. Before he could closer, he was suddenly taken down by Superion, the combined form of the Aerialbots that united in the wake of Grimlock's defeat. The giants fought it out while the Autobots helped Grimlock up. Superion beat on Predaking with a flurry of blows to his face. The blows barely phased Predaking if at all and in response, he head butted Superion, staggering him before taking a quick swipe at him with his sword. Superion ducked under the swipe and tackled Predaking, forcing him to drop his weapon. They fell to the ground with the loudest clang ever heard and Superion pinned Predaking down.

"Go, Autobots!" Superion shouted before Predaking kicked him back.

Superion righted himself as much as possible as Predaking bared down on him. They fought on with increased intensity. Superion seemed to be taking control before Predaking took over and proceeded to pound Superion. It occurred to Rodimus Prime that Predaking wasn't utilizing any particular strategy, but was acting on pure animal instinct. Whatever the case, Predaking was now punishing Superion with stiff punches to the face and knees to the torso. Superion tried to fight back as hard as he could, throwing random blows back at Predaking. Predaking regained control and started pounding on Superion mercilessly. Try as he might, Superion couldn't seem to regain the upper hand as Predaking laid into him with heavy shots. Predaking hoisted Superion over his head and tossed across the chamber, and the impact caused Superion to disengage into his five components. Grabbing his sword, Predaking stalked the fallen Aerialbots.

"None can match mighty Predaking." He raised his sword, ready to deliver the killing blow when he was knocked clear across the chamber.

Sky Lynx had assumed his giant dinosaur form and took a stance against Predaking. "If you're so strong, Predaking, then face me if you dare."

Predaking rose to his feet again, sword in hand and roaring. "Predaking, that's enough," Alpha Q shouted. "There's no need to continue this conflict any further. Return to me."

Predaking disengaged into his five components and, after a momentary stare down with Sky Lynx, they went on to region their master. Except for Razorclaw, as he remained where he stood. He growled at Sky Lynx and Sky Lynx growled back at him. Eventually, Razorclaw turned away to rejoin the other Predacons with Alpha Q and his fellow Quintessons.

"It is time to end this pointless resistance, Rodimus," Alpha Q said. "I offer you one final chance to surrender the Matrix to me."

"Never." Rodimus said and opened fire on Alpha Q with his crossbow, striking him in the right shoulder.

Alpha Q recoiled from the shot and shouted, "You have had your chance, now die with this planet." With that, Alpha Q vanished through a hidden door with his follower and the Predacons.

"You're not leaving," Blackarachnia shouted and leaped for the door, but was too late to stop Alpha Q. She screamed and clawed at the wall, all the while shouting, "I will find you, Alpha Q. If it takes me forever, I will find you."

Down below, Tempest asked, "Are we going after them?"

"No point," Kup said. "They're probably long gone by now. And the Aerialbots ain't in any shape to fight."

"Sky Lynx," Rodimus Prime said. "Take the Aerialbots back to Earth for repairs. Breakaway and Tempest, you two go with them. Perceptor and Jazz should be there by now."

"What about us?" Springer asked.

"I spotted a shipyard with a single Quintesson ship on our approach. We'll take that and go after Alpha Q."

Ultra Magnus came up to Rodimus and said, "He knows about the Matrix, Rodimus. You mind telling me how that's possible."

"Long story. I'll fill you in on the way to Cybertron." Rodimus Prime said.

"Spike, here, take this exosuit. You might need it." Sky Lynx said and opened and an exosuit appeared. Breakaway removed and set it down.

"Thanks, Sky Lynx. You're not so self absorbed as everyone says." Spike said and climbed into his suit.

"They're all just jealous of my superiority." Sky Lynx said.

Breakaway was about to speak when he noticed something in the floor. A stream of red lighting began pulsing at a slow rate. The pulsing steadily increased in speed as another stream of red lighting appeared across the floor. Then another. And another. One after that one. They were all pulsing, lighting the chamber in red light. Then it finally occurred to Breakaway.

"Um, didn't Alpha Q say something about us dying with their planet? he asked.

"Somehow, I doubt they were bluffing." Kup said.

"Sky Lynx, go. Get back to Earth. The rest of you, with me." Rodimus said and transformed to his truck form. The other Autobots followed his lead as Sky Lynx took off.

Before she did, Elita One approached Blackarachnia, who'd left a series of gashes in the wall where Alpha Q vanished. "C'mon, Blackarachnia. We've got to go."

"I have nothing left, Elita," Blackarachnia said without looking at Elita. "Just leave me here."

Elita took a chance and put her hand on her former friend's shoulder. "No. I left you behind once. I won't do it again. We can chase Alpha Q together, and make him answer for his crimes."

Blackarachnia spun around to face Elita. "You swear on your Spark and those of Moonracer and Firestar that we'll catch that monster."

"We'll catch him. I swear to Primus we will." Elita said.

"Then let's get off this planet."

Elita assumed her vehicle form and raced off, while Blackarachnia used her webs to swing after her. Sky Lynx had taken off by then with the Aerialbots, Tempest and Breakaway, while Rodimus Prime led the rest of the Autobots to the shipping yard. A Quintesson ship was stationed there, unused and waiting to be launched. There wasn't much time to admire the view. The planet was getting dangerously close to detonation when the Autobots arrived at the foot of the ship. Rodimus Prime filed them all in as quickly as possible. Grimlock, Elita and Blackarachnia were among the last before Rodimus climbed inside. Kup was already at the controls and was firing up the main engines. The engines ignited and the ship took off just as Quintessa began to blow.

* * *

><p>Aboard their own ship, Alpha Q and his followers watched as their planet detonated. They saw no sign of the Autobots' escape and, of course, assumed they had been destroyed along with Quintessa. At least the lower ranking Quintessons did, but Alpha Q was clearly unconvinced. The Autobots survived far worse, Unicron's assault on Cybertron being a prime example. Hence Alpha Q was more than certain that Rodimus Prime and the Matrix survived. It was time to execute a new plan, one that would require more militaristic assistance.<p>

"It is time to accelerate our plans," Alpha Q said. "Set course for the planet Chaar."

"Planet Chaar," said one of the lower ranking Quintessons. "But it is nothing more than a barren wasteland."

"A barren wasteland populated by the remnants of the Decepticons," Alpha Q pointed explained. "They have been severely weakened in the battle against Unicron."

"Even if they were not so," said another Quintesson. "The Decepticons would never serve our purposes."

"True, but," Alpha Q hit a switch and compartment containing a stock pile of energon cubes opened. The Predacons were prevented from partaking in the spoils as Alpha Q went on. "There are a great many ways to persuade them."

* * *

><p>"That was a little bit too close, Rodimus." Springer said as the ship was shaking from the damage done in the explosion.<p>

Rodimus Prime was at the helm with Kup and said, "Hey, it could be worse…"

"Don't say it could be worse, lad," Kup said. "Things always seem to get worse."

"Especially now," Arcee said as she checked the ship's readouts. "Guidance and propulsion systems are shot to the Pit."

"I rest my case." Kup said.

"Does anyone have any idea where we're going," Spike asked, now fully armored the exosuit Sky Lynx provided him. "Personally, I'd like to get back to Earth. I'm worried about my wife and son."

"You're not the only one." Rodimus Prime added. He meant it too.

"I did some calculations," Ultra Magnus said while checking the navigation system. "It looks like we'll be impacting an object pretty soon. Not sure if it's another ship or a planet."

"Well then, we'll either be rescued or smashed to pieces on impact. Take your pick." Rodimus said.

"Rodimus?" Ultra Magnus said.

"Yeah?"

"You owe me that explanation."

Rodimus Prime knew Ultra Magnus was right. He owed him an explanation as to how the Quintessons knew about the Matrix, about Cybertron, about Unicron. About everything. Rodimus still wasn't sure if he believed any of it. How was Ultra Magnus going to believe? Rodimus wondered to himself if Optimus Prime might have known all along and kept it from everyone. If he did, he had good reasons. Rodimus looked at Magnus, ready to speak but wasn't sure how Magnus, or anyone with would react. It was now or never.

"You won't believe me if I told you." he stated.

"Try me." Magnus said.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere in the galaxy, four interstellar spacecraft soared across the cosmos. Three of them bore the Decepticon insignia on their hulls. Since <em>rescuing<em> him, Cyclonus had spent the flight debriefing Galvatron on recent events following his disappearance. Scourge had been keeping a short distance, which was understandable after the thrashing Galvatron heaped on him on Thrull. Skyquake had taken up the rear of the pack, mainly out of self-service and partly because he had no interest in trying to wrest authority from Galvatron yet. But he would when the time came. Galvatron suddenly yawed to his right, as if his guidance system went out. It wasn't that. The extended time spent in his so-called _plasma bath_ had apparently damaged his logic circuits. He stopped in midflight and transformed. Cyclonus transformed too and suddenly found himself in the grip of Galvatron.

"Let me see if I grasp this news, Cyclonus," he said and started to squeeze. "The Autobots have reclaimed Cybertron, my Decepticons have been exiled to some backwater mud ball and even those little parasites have an outpost in orbit around their planet?"

Cyclonus choked under the strain and said, "Well, that's the way of it, Galvatron. We couldn't hold our territory after Unicron's demise. We were outmatched."

"You and your useless excuses," Galvatron released Cyclonus, who fell into the waiting arms of Scourge. "If not that you were useful on the battlefield, I'd of disintegrated you long ago, Cyclonus," Galvatron turned away and mused to himself, "The knowledge of a human outpost in Earth's orbit only amplifies my plans for the Autobots. I need to see this outpost for myself."

"He's out of his mind, Cyclonus," Scourge muttered to Cyclonus. "He's abusing you just as Megatron did Starscream."

Galvatron suddenly spun around, aimed his particle cannon and opened fire on Scourge and Cyclonus. They barely managed to avoid the blast. Galvatron grabbed Scourge, bringing him up close and snarled, "Don't ever, EVER, speak that NAME in my presence. Understand, Scourge?"

"Y…Yes, crystal clear, Galvatron!" Scourge groveled more or less, and Galvatron released him.

"It's Lord Galvatron. Now," Galvatron began the familiar process of transforming while declaring, "Let us **inspect** the human's little outpost." He rocketed away is a blaze. Cyclonus transformed and followed.

Scourge was about to transformed when Skyquake floated to him in proto form. "Still willing to follow Galvatron, Scourge?"

"What does it matter to you, Skyquake?" Scourge asked.

"More than you might think," Skyquake said and slowly hovered around Scourge. "Why follow him anyway? He's clearly insane. Are you afraid of him?"

"I follow Galvatron because he is my leader, and he has no equal." Scourge said.

"Doesn't he? Make no mistake, Scourge," Skyquake was now face to face with the hapless Sweep. "At some point, you'll have to make a very important decision of whom you follow; Galvatron… or me."

Skyquake transformed and jetted off, leaving Scourge behind to consider his apparent proposal. Skyquake or Galvatron; who would he follow? The answer shouldn't have been a difficult one for Scourge; Galvatron was the clear choice. Or was it? Galvatron hadn't been the same since his recovery. Skyquake seemed to possess adequate leadership skill, but hardly anything was known about him. And, he'd spent the past three millennia hidden beneath surface of Cybertron. Skyquake couldn't be trusted, but could Galvatron be trusted? Scourge had put that doubt aside for now, and he assumed alt form and jetted after his comrades. They had a human outpost to, in the words of Galvatron, inspect.

A small flicker of, something, appeared in the contrail left by Scourge. If one had remained and listened ever so closely, the faint sound of raspy laughter could've been heard.

* * *

><p>Author's note: Phew. Took me long enough. Sorry 'bout the delay. The Predacons took center stage in this little nugget, even forming into Predaking and pounding the servos out of Superion. Just to clarify, they won't be assuming their robot form, thus remaining in animal form throughout the story.<p>

Galvatron is still a nutcase, and Skyquake seems to be a real schemer. Remind you of anybody?

Leave a review or two. Or three. See you next time.


	9. No Man's Land

Disclaimer: The hits just keep coming, don't they? I like the support I've been receiving as of late, although I have no idea what one reviewer is saying. Anyway, I don't own the rights to Transformers. Get ready for a special appearance.

* * *

><p>Chapter IX<p>

Location: Sol System

Blur was bored and more than a little jittery. With good reason. At least to him it was a good reason. He was the Autobot's fastest data courier. He liked to think fast, talk first, act fast and he most certainly liked to drive fast. He wanted right now to get the delivery of Metroplex's conversion cog over and done with so he could get back to Athenia and show everyone there how it was done. At least he had Wheelie to keep him company, for what good it did. Ironically for the oft rhyming Autobot, Wheelie had been relatively quiet. Which made the trip all the more unbearable, because Blur was about to snap.

"How-much-longer-how-much-longer-is-this-trip? I'm-bored-out-of-my-mind-with-this-star-hopping-from-Athenia-to-Earth-and-back-again." he said in his usual high speed tone.

Wheelie had been looking out the viewport of the ship he and Blur shared, and he saw worlds he'd never seen before outside of Cybertron and Quintessa. "Many worlds on which to stare, tell me, Blur, what's that one over there."

Blur looked out, recognizing the large, blue planet. "That-one-right-there-that's-Neptune. That's-a-gas-giant-the-humans-tell-me. Lots-of-storms-and-it's-big-and-blue. But-I've-seen-bigger-worlds-in-this-system-I-kid-you-not."

"Bigger than that you say, I'd like to see them later today." Wheelie rhymed.

"Maybe-way-later-I-wanna-get-this-cog-to-Earth-as-soon-as-possible-so-I-can-show-off-my-mad-driving-skill-you-know-what-I-mean." Blur chattered.

The ship the two Autobots shared continued on across the Sol System, unaware of some kind of wormhole opening several kilometers away. From the gate came the four Decepticons led by the spacecraft form of Galvatron. He stopped short and transformed. Cyclonus and Scourge almost collided with each other while Skyquake was in no danger of any such collision. The wormhole closed behind them, and Cyclonus and Scourge transformed to inspect what had happened.

"Amazing…" Cyclonus started to say. "…to think that a centuries old Space Bridge from the Golden Age still functions now."

"Barely at least, but how did Galvatron know of its functionality?" Scourge asked.

"He knew because he still retains some knowledge of his former existence." Cyclonus surmised as Skyquake hovered by in his alt form.

"If you two are finished, I'm interested to see what you so-called master has planned." he said and jetted onward.

Cyclonus was about to follow when Scourge said, "Cyclonus, is it me or has Galvatron seemed a bit…" he stopped for a moment before continuing. "…unwell as of late?"

"What are you implying, Scourge?" Cyclonus asked.

"Consider it for a moment; he chases after stray Autobots and hunts for human outposts when we could be returning to Chaar and rallying the other Decepticons," Scourge explained. "He even beat us half to death when we found him. I don't think he's of sound mind to lead us."

"Watch your tone, Scourge," Cyclonus said. "Galvatron is our leader, we are his followers. You would do well to remember the difference."

"But say we eliminate the Autobots and their human comrades, what then," Scourge continued on. "What's to stop Galvatron from turning on us? I think I should consider a future without Galvatron leading the Decepticons."

Cyclonus grabbed Scourge by the neck and pulled him in. "Know your place, Sweep. This exchange is over." He released Scourge, assumed alt form and jetted away.

Scourge stayed put for what felt like eons, knowing he might have just overstepped his bound as far as Galvatron went. He should've expected Cyclonus to remain loyal to Galvatron even after the latter abused them both. And, what right really did Scourge have to speak out against Galvatron? Was it really Scourge speaking, or was it Skyquake sowing the Seeds of Doubt in him? He made no secret of his desire to lead the Decepticons. It reminded Scourge of Starscream. Starscream always made plays to overthrow Megatron and assume command and he always failed. But Skyquake wasn't Starscream because unlike Starscream…

He heard something faint behind him and turned around. Nothing but stars and nebulas as far as the optic could scan. Scourge was sure he'd heard something. He could tell what it was but it sounded like faint laughter. Faint, and yet, very familiar. Scourge wrote it off as mere nerves or superstition, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that something, or someone, was watching him. Or maybe, Scourge was becoming as crazed as Galvatron.

_You're getting paranoid._ Scourge thought before he assumed alt form and followed his comrades. If only he were paranoid, because a flicker of light formed an orb of energy not unlike a Spark, and it followed the Decepticons.

* * *

><p>Location: In Orbit above Earth<p>

Over the years since the Transformers' arrival to Earth, mankind had established orbital stations above the planet they inhabited. Three in total, these stations were disc shaped and massive, roughly the width of the city of Manhattan. The Autobots had assisted in the construction of the station, providing their human allies with the advancements of their race. Hypothetically it should've been impossible to create one station let alone three, but the human provided the resources needed for the Autobots to build them.

After spending a length of time meeting and getting to know the Wreckers on Earth, Marissa was on her way back to what became known as Outpost One. Her ship was no larger than an Earth-style jetliner, able to accommodate a small crew of six or seven humans. Marissa preferred to fly alone unless situations forced her to bring back up, not that she ever needed it.

"EDC Outpost One, this is Director Fairborne requesting a vector and a berth, over?" she said through the ship's intercom system.

A gruff, male voice sounded out over the system. _"Director Fairborne, your landing code has been verified. Permission granted to dock at landing platform three."_

Marissa smiled since she recognized the voice. "Will, is that you?"

"_Yes, ma'am. Good to have you back."_ said the man known as Will.

"Good to be back."

Marissa piloted her ship around the station before reaching the designated landing platform. The landing lights on the platform guided the ship in. Landing was anything that Marissa couldn't handle but the assistance was welcome nevertheless. Slowly and steadily, Marissa brought her ship down. It lurched a bit but the landing was otherwise smooth. Marissa mentally had to thank her father for the flying lessons. Once out of the ship and into the station itself, Marissa was greeted by a man appearing to be in her mid 30's with short cropped hair and wearing a uniform similar to Marissa's. She knew him by the name of Major William Lennox. He saluted her, to which Marissa saluted back. Then she held out her hand and the man shook it.

"It's good to see you again, Will." Marissa said.

"Likewise, ma'am. It was getting kind of lonely up here."

"Don't call me a ma'am. I'm not a ma'am." Marissa laughed.

"Sorry. Old habits." Major Lennox said.

"Don't worry about it," Marissa said. "So, what's the situation up here?"

Major Lennox led Marissa down a corridor and into the communications area where others were busy running things. "We've picked up the energon signature of a ship entering the System about forty-five minutes ago. The signature matches with that of a cargo ship that left Cybertron two Earth days ago."

"Must be the two Autobots on assignment for Rodimus Prime. Blur and Wheelie, I believe." Marissa surmised. "They're making a delivery to Autobot City back on Earth."

"What's the payload, Director?" Will asked.

"It's a conversion cog for a sub section of their city, which I affectionately christened Metroplex," Marissa laughingly said. "Anyway, what's the ship's current position?"

"We've been tracking the ship as it got passed Saturn and it should be in communications range once it's by Jupiter, which is the halfway point." Lennox explained.

"Major Lennox," said one of the techs in the communications area. "I'm picking up some miniscule energon signatures closing on the ship. I count four, and they're too small to be escort ships."

"Anything else?" Marissa asked.

"Yeah," said the tech. "Whatever they are, they're moving fast. Like, recklessly fast."

The blood suddenly drained from Marissa's face once she figured out that something was wrong. "Get a message to the ship as soon as possible. Tell them they have Decepticons incoming."

* * *

><p>The cargo ship was now passing over Io, the largest moon of the gas giant Jupiter, when the Decepticons went on the attack. In his spacecraft form, Galvatron opened fire on the ship and missed it. It was a warning shot; deliberate, to let the crew know of his presence. Inside the ship, Blur and Wheelie had checked their on board monitor. It showed the unmistakable visage of Galvatron, Cyclonus, and Scourge… and a huge and unknown Decepticon they hadn't seen before.<p>

"Maybe I'm messed up in the head, but I thought Galvatron was dead." Wheelie fearfully exclaimed.

"He-looks-very-very-very-alive-to-me. Not-good-not-good-really-really-not-good," Blur chattered before hitting the console intercom. "Mayday-mayday-mayday-this-is-Blur-calling-anybody. We're-under-attack-by-Decepticons-by-Galvatron-especially-by-Galvatron. Help-help-please-H-E-L-P-HELP!"

Galvatron zipped right above and ahead of the ship without pause, then turned around and zipped back. He fired on the ship and hit the port side, causing the ship to lurch to the side and throw its occupants down. Blur recovered and tried to steer the ship away, but Galvatron was in hot pursuit and still firing away. Scourge, Cyclonus and Skyquake simply stayed out of the way as Galvatron assaulted the ship. His movement, his flight pattern, they were erratic and without strategy. He simply jetted back and forth and shot at the ship, indiscriminate of the target points he hit. Every shot damaged the ship and set it ablaze. Blur tried to steer away while Wheelie protected the vital conversion cog. If that were to be damage or destroyed, Metroplex would be in trouble.

Galvatron hovered above the ship, transformed to proto form and pounced on the hull. He got out his duel edged sword and slashed a hole into the hull. When he found Blur and Wheelie, he fumed, "Where is he? Where is Rodimus? Tell me!"

Blur answered by shooting Galvatron in the shoulder, knocking him from the hull of the ship. It only succeeded in angering him, and he fired one last shot at the ship's engines. The blast blew the engine to pieces and the ship subsequently started falling apart as it headed toward the surface of Io. Galvatron still fumed knowing that Rodimus Prime was not on that ship. Where was he hiding, he thought. He kept shooting at the ship as it was now out of range. Only when Scourge and Cyclonus approach to hold their leader back did Galvatron cease fire. That didn't stop Galvatron from turning his rage toward them. He hammered them one at a time as a very amused Skyquake watched.

"How dare you morons hold me back? There were Autobots in that ship waiting to be mangled." he shouted.

"I think you've mangled them enough, Galvatron." Skyquake mocked.

"SHUT UP!" Galvatron fired on Skyquake and missed as Skyquake ducked to the side.

"Galvatron, please. Those Autobots were clearly no match for us." Scourge said.

"For me, Scourge," Galvatron smashed Scourge in the jaw. "They were no match for me. I damn well know that, you imbecile. I want Rodimus Prime; I want his head in me hands."

"I thought you wanted to destroy that human outpost you heard so much about," Skyquake said. "You're not very consistent, Galvatron."

Galvatron was on his last nerve with Skyquake before Cyclonus stopped him. "Galvatron, the Autobots will fall in time. But the Decepticons crave your leadership still. They wait on Chaar as we speak."

"They will not survive without you, Galvatron. They can't." Scourge added.

"Like I care," Galvatron snarled. "They should at that very least meet their demise with dignity."

"We still possess the ultimate weapon, hidden beneath Cybertron," Cyclonus explained. "Trypticon yet lives, and he awaited your command, mighty Galvatron."

Galvatron's interest suddenly peaked. "Trypticon, you say," Cyclonus and Scourge nodded. "Very well," he said. "Take me to this planet Chaar. We will rally our Decepticons and bring death to the Autobots. Especially Rodimus Prime."

* * *

><p>In Outpost One, Marissa and Lennox waited for confirmation on the ship. The tech eventually stated, "Damn it. It just went dead. I've got nothing."<p>

"What about that transmission you picked up?" Lennox asked.

"It's pretty garbled by solar interference, but I picked a mayday and mention of something called Galvatron." the tech said.

"What was the ship's last known position?" Marissa asked.

"Just outside of the orbit of Jupiter, about thirty-four miles above Io."

"We need to mount a rescue mission." Marissa declared.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Marissa," Lennox said. "Io has over four hundred active volcanoes on its surface. Assuming that your friends are alive, finding them would be nearly impossible. Plus none of our ships could make the trip."

Marissa was about to tell off Lennox but a thought occurred to her. "Maybe not our ships. Tech, get me in contact with Autobot City. I know some Autobots who can help."

* * *

><p>Location: Autobot CityMetroplex

Outback tried to focus on his job amid the heavy blaring of Blaster's speaker system. Drift and Roulette of the Wreckers busied themselves with talk of strategy when a call started to come in through the intercom. Outback answered but could barely hear anything over Blaster's tune. So, he smacked the boom box, prompting Blaster to transform right then and there.

"Hey, Outback, don't mess with my tunes." he said.

"Shut up, Blaster," Outback said and listened to the call. It was Marissa. "Say again, Marissa..."

"_We've got an emergency, Outback,"_ Marissa said from Outpost One. _"Put me in line with Drift."_

Drift heard his name and approached the intercom. "Marissa, Drift here. What going on up there."

"_Contact with Blur and Wheelie has been lost above Io,"_ said Marissa. _"Based on the transmission we received, it sounds like the cargo ship came under attack by Decepticons. I intend to mount a rescue mission but none of our human ships can handle the volcanic temperature."_

"Say no more, Marissa," Drift said. "We'll get the Axalon primed and ready for launch. Drift out."

"Looks like our stay on Earth was short lived. Airazor is going to be disappointed." Roulette joked.

"She'll get over it. Just get her and Depth Charge down to the hanger bay," Drift said and pressed his finger to the side of his head. "Stratosphere, what's the current status of the Axalon?"

"_Bulkhead and I just finished retrofitting it,"_ Stratosphere said. After a short pause, Stratosphere asked, _"What's going on up there, Drift?"_

"We've got a situation. Get the ship ready for launch." Drift said.

* * *

><p>The Autobots' escape ship was slowly falling apart as it was approaching an unknown planetoid. Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus struggled to keep the ship level, to no avail. The planetoid, if it in fact was a planetoid, didn't appear to have a gravitational pull, so that more or less helped. The Autobots, along with Spike, Grimlock and Blackarachnia, braced for impact. The ship hit the planetoid hard and fast, skidded and suddenly jolted to a stop. The momentum threw the crew across the deck like ragdolls. After the brief but arduous experience, the Autobots assessed their situation. Kup looked out of the view port at the landscape of the planetoid they arrived at. He hadn't seen anything like it, just like the first time he'd seen Unicron. Rodimus Prime joined him and he was just as awed.<p>

"What's that look like to you, Kup?" Rodimus asked.

"Honestly, that doesn't look anything like the terrain on Cybertron or Earth," said Kup, shaking his head. "By the Pit, it doesn't look like the Junk Planet."

"At least we got away from the Quintessons," Elita One said. "For now anyway."

"C'mon. Let's see what's out there waiting for us." Rodimus Prime said.

Once the hatch was opened, the Autobots surveyed their current location with veiled curiosity. Clearly, it wasn't Cybertron or Athenia or even the Junk Planet they were on. A large structure dominated the odd landscape, which seemed to pulsate slightly all around the crashed Quintesson ship. Rodimus Prime and Kup exchanged curious glances and then Rodimus stepped from the deck of the ship. He felt himself suddenly sink until the substance reached his knee. He seemed able to walk but he couldn't remove his feet from the substance. This strange ooze appeared to have elastic properties to it, hence why Rodimus couldn't get his feet out. Other than that mishap, the ooze seemed safe. The other Autobots, along with Spike and Grimlock, followed Rodimus Prime out of the ship, and they had the more or less the same issue with the ooze. Blackarachnia assumed spider form and leapt onto an outcropping which was ooze free.

"Okay, that's pretty nasty." Springer said.

"Yeah," Spike said. "This goo is like the gum I stuck under my desk in high school."

"Let's head for the structure," Rodimus Prime said, pointing toward what he assumed to be a power plant of some sort. "If we're lucky, there's a communications center in there, and we can maybe contact Wreck-Gar for help."

"Good," said Ultra Magnus. "I don't want us to waddle in this stuff anymore than we need to."

No one argued that with Ultra Magnus in the least. With Rodimus Prime leading the way, the Autobots started toward the structure across the ooze covered terrain. As expected from the start, walking through the ooze was like wading through the tar on Dinobot Island; except there was no risk of sinking. That was about the only good news. Grimlock seemed to be having somewhat of an easier time since his T-Rex form was more accosted to this sort of landscape. The other Autobots, not so much. Up above, Blackarachnia, in spider form, used the elevated masses to skip across the ooze without touching. She looked down at the Autobots, the lone Dinobot and the human male with contempt. Then she chuckled in amusement. Elita One and Arcee were having the hardest time moving through the ooze. Springer too; he tried transforming to helicopter form but to no avail. He should've transformed on the ship, the idiot, she thought.

Over the following few cycles, the Autobots struggled across the ooze. More than once, some of them fell over into the stuff, which felt strange as they could move through it with effort. It was removing themselves entirely from it that was the main issue. Rodimus Prime looked up at the structure that he surmised to be a power plant of some kind. He reached for it. It seemed so close that he could touch, but it was still a ways off. Springer stopped suddenly. He though he heard something like a low hum and turned around. Something was approaching from the distance, and whatever it was, it was big. Then a large hovering machine appeared, and it appeared to be vacuuming the ooze inside of it, along with random masses of steel.

"Guys," Springer said aloud and alerted the other Autobots. "What is that?"

Kup looked at the machine and said, "Oh scrap. That's an elemental processor."

"What's it process?" Springer asked, and he just knew right away he wouldn't like the answer.

"Anything and everything made of metal. Like us." Kup said.

Rodimus Prime shouted, "RUN!"

Amid the gum-like ooze, the Autobots made a serious break for it. The elemental processor was considerable slow moving as it sucked the ooze into a hatch on the underside. Still, it was so large that the Autobots though more than once that it would overtake them. Blackarachnia, being the only one not stuck in the ooze, was in no worry to assist the Autobots. As they tried to escape the approaching machine, Arcee suddenly lost her footing and toppled over. Her arms were in the ooze and she struggled to get free. Springer saw her and rushed back to free her, even as the machine was closing. Unsheathing his sword, Springer slashed at the ooze and Arcee gradually freed herself. Rodimus and Kup helped her get clear, but before Springer could follow, the elemental processor was already upon him.

The machine sucked everything within range up inside of it without pause, including Springer. The Autobots were helpless as they could only watch Springer vanish into the machine. Now it was Rodimus Prime in the path of the machine as Kup helped Arcee to get away. Rodimus, for some insane reason, stood his ground, as if he wanted the machine to take him. Kup looked back and was incredulous.

"What're you doin', lad," he shouted. "For once in your life, forget everything I taught you about bravery and RUN."

Rodimus didn't seem to be listening, especially since his buzz saw was running full power. The elemental processor was right on top of him and eventually suck him inside. Arcee tried to run but couldn't in the ooze, nor did Ultra Magnus or Elita One allow her.

"RODIMUS!"

* * *

><p>Author's note: Death by… garbage scow from space? Really? Really? Really?<p>

Seriously, this isn't my best chapter and I admit that. But we're moving along so… HEY! Where's my mouse.

Is this your rat, Bruce?

WRECK-GAR! Get your mismatched carcass back in the story. And gimme back my rat, uh, mouse. (Mouse thrown, hits head.) OW! You little… listen guys, you just review this while I go take Wreck-Gar apart. Again!


	10. Easy Come, Easy Go

Disclaimer: Happy Thanksgiving from KiloWhiskeyOscar. Here's the latest chapter of my story. I don't own the rights to Transformers.

* * *

><p>Chapter X<p>

The Autobots feared the worst when Springer and Rodimus Prime vanished into the elemental processor. Arcee was the most distressed as she felt she'd two of her closest friends. She and the others had no time to mourn as the machine was coming right for them. Ultra Magnus and Kup helped Arcee up and they ran as fast as they could in the ooze. Spike, Grimlock and Elita One followed but Blackarachnia remained out of the way. She hung from a protruding structure of steel in spider form and watched the Autobots' struggle. Her expression was neither gleeful nor remorseful. Put bluntly, she was indifferent.

The machine advanced on the Autobots like a relentless beast of iron, sucking ooze and metal parts into itself without pause. Kup and Elita One tried to fire at the machine but their shots bounced off of it. It likely was made of a near indestructible metal alloy, hence why the shot had little to no effect. The machine just kept coming and because of her proximity, it seemed that Elita was next to be consumed. Then the machine stopped dead in its tracks and started to shudder. The left side burst into flames. The machine spun around once before crashing into the ooze. For a moment, Elita and Kup glanced at each other, wondering which of them first the shot. Then something started to smash its way out of the machine. Out; as in someone was alive inside the machine. Rodimus Prime emerged from the machine, scratched up and dented. He had a badly battered Springer leaning on his shoulder and motioned Ultra Magnus and Arcee to him.

"Well, that was fun!" Rodimus sarcastically spat.

"Yeah, a real riot," Springer said, grimacing and holding his left leg. It was leaking energon fluid fast. "Anyone want to fix my leg?"

Magnus and Arcee helped Springer down and sat him down. Kup looked at Rodimus Prime, astonished. "I've seen some brave acts and some stupid acts, lad."

"Which one was that?" Rodimus asked.

"Both!"

"It works for me, at least." Rodimus said with a shrug.

"Hey," said Springer as he clutched his leg. "You guys can run down the details after you fix my leg."

"Hold still, Springer," said Spike, who was checking the damage to his leg. It didn't look good. "Damn it to Hell. The damage is worse than I thought, Springer, and you're bleeding energon fluid."

"How long until he goes into stasis lock?" Arcee asked.

"I'm no doctor. I'm sure as Hell not Ratchet, but," Spike looked over the damage. "I'd say you've got a couple at most."

"At the rate he's leaking energon," Elita One said. "He'll be offline long before he hits stasis lock."

"Aw, the poor little Sparkling got himself a little boo-boo," Blackarachnia assumed proto form and lowered herself from a web line from which she hung upside down. "Maybe you'd like me to kiss it, make it all better. Or maybe, we should cut our losses and leave him behind."

Elita turned right around to face the spider. "We're not leaving Springer here to rust."

"Says the fembot whore who left me behind," Blackarachnia snapped. She got a swift punch to the face from Elita One. "Well, that struck a nerve." she quipped.

Ultra Magnus stepped between them before they could come to blows. "This is hardly the time or place to get at each other's throats. Stand down."

Blackarachnia simply laughed. "Lighten up, I was just kidding," Then she shot a large glob of webbing at Springer's wound. "That ought to stem the bleeding until you can get him repaired, assuming we find a way out of this mess. You're welcome, by the way."

"Let's go," Rodimus said. "Magnus and Kup, help Springer. We need to reach that structure and hope we can contact Wreck-Gar and his Junkions."

"Let's do it, then," Springer said, sounding weak. "I'm starting to feel dizzy already."

Rodimus Prime nodded and said. "Move out."

* * *

><p>Location: Planet Chaar<p>

The Decepticons were down to their last miniscule scraps of energon. Most of them were on the cusp of stasis lock and with Cyclonus and Scourge still having not returned, the future was bleak. Only a handful of them, Soundwave, Quickswitch and Sixshot, remained upright. But others like Blitzwing, Barricade and Fracture were close to stasis lock or even outright shutdown.

"Hey, Fracture," said a weakened Barricade. "You even think it would end like this?"

"Be quiet." Fracture said.

Barricade might have been delirious, because he wound up saying, "You know, I always thought you were hot."

"Shut up, Barricade, or I'll beat you with what's left of your severed arm." Fracture said weakly.

"I love you too."

"Just shutdown already."

Soundwave suddenly stood up, staggering a bit. "Alert; unidentified vessel approaching."

"Unidentified vessel? From where?" Blitzwing asked.

"Origin unknown. Configuration does not match that of Decepticon warships." Soundwave pointed toward the stars, where a peculiar looking ship was only now becoming visible.

The many weakened Decepticons pulled themselves up of the dirt, some leaning on their nearest fellow 'Con. Others tried and failed to stand and sank to their knees. The ship, long and in a spiral shape landed up right, deploying a series of landing clamps to keep it standing. A ramp opened as the top Decepticons, Soundwave, Barricade, Fracture and Blitzwing stepped forward. They didn't have their guns ready, which was obvious considering the lack of energon. Then five animal based machines burst forth; a lion, a tiger, and eagle, a bear and a jackal. They stood side by side, sneering at the much weaken Decepticons, none of whom were in any shape to fight.

"What are those things?" Blitzwing asked.

"Scans indicate…" Soundwave started to speak.

"They're robots based on animals from Earth, Blitzwing," Fracture snapped. "I've never been there and I know more than you. Are you that fragging stupid?"

"Screw you, Fracture," Blitzwing snapped back and then looked up and pointed toward the ramp. "Can you tell me what that is?"

At the top of the ramp stood, or hovered, that most outright bizarre-looking creature the Decepticons had ever seen. It was no larger than the average Decepticon soldier, but its body was mostly oval shaped. It had elongated arms whipping around and its face was the stuff of human nightmares. Two more, much smaller creatures flanked it on either side, the main difference being that they each had five faces. The big came forward, looking at the Decepticons, almost as though it was examining them. Of all the 'Cons, Blitzwing was the most suspicious. He had an odd feeling about these creatures; one of familiarity, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Hello, Decepticons," the new arrival greeted. "My name is Alpha Q, and I come seeking an audience. Tell me, who amongst you is in authority here?"

Two Decepticons, Fracture and Soundwave were about to step up when Sixshot pushed passed them. He stood over Alpha Q. "I'm in charge for now. Name's Sixshot."

"Says you!" Blitzwing spat, earning himself a swift punch to the face.

"Yeah, says me, Blitzwing." Sixshot said.

"You are a big one, as is your partner there." Alpha Q said while addressing Quickswitch.

"We're brothers actually," Quickswitch corrected Alpha Q. "Now cut to the chase; why are you here?"

Alpha Q sneered at Quickswitch but made no attempt to silence him. Instead he spoke. "We come to propose an alliance. The Autobots are currently on the run. We know where they are, right this moment. If you join with us, we will take you to them where you can slay them all where they stand."

"You must think we were manufactured yesterday. We've got no reason to believe you. We don't even know you." Blitzwing said.

"'You've no reason to disbelieve either," Alpha Q countered. "Speak amongst yourselves, consider our offer. And just to hasten you decision…"

Alpha Q made a motion. The left flanking Quintesson flipped a lever, opening a hatch on the side of the ship. A stockpile of energon cubes fell to the ground, in plain view of the weary Decepticons. The weakest of the bunch marveled and lumbered toward the stockpile of sustenance. But they were also hesitant, until Dead End stepped forward at Swindle's suggestion and sampled a piece. At first he thought it was poisoned, but he felt his energon reserves returning to normal. Seeing that he clearly survived, the rest of the Decepticons jumped at the stockpile. There was plenty to go around even though they were still fighting amongst themselves. Barricade, Soundwave, and Fracture joined their comrades while Blitzwing deliberated with Motor Master, Scrapper and Onslaught.

"I don't trust these guys." Blitzwing said.

"You don't trust anyone, you're so antisocial." Scrapper stated to the Triple Changer.

"They claim that the Autobots are vulnerable. Maybe we should take advantage of this opportunity." Onslaught said.

"How do we know their serious? It could by a lie." Blitzwing explained.

"That energon isn't a lie," Motor Master said. "I say we put it to vote."

"A vote," Blitzwing snapped. "You really want to put our lives in the, um…" he glanced at Alpha Q briefly before continuing. "…hands of these things? What if Galvatron…"

"Galvatron's not here. You want to wait around for him to show up, be my guest," Motor Master said. "Me, I say we follow Alpha Q and hunt down the Autobots. Who's with me?"

"I'm in," said Scrapper. "It's better than sitting here waiting to die."

"Agreed." Onslaught added and he, Motor Master and Scrapper looked to Blitzwing.

"What're you looking at me for," he said. "We can't trust these Quintesson guys."

"I don't trust anyone," Motor Master said. "That's not the point. Are you in or out, Blitzwing?"

"I'm out. I'll take my chances when, if, Galvatron comes back." Blitzwing said.

"Your funeral." Onslaught said.

With that, the three combiner team leaders joined their respective groups, who were consuming the energon like rabid dogs. Soundwave, Fracture and Barricade stood back with their share since they had a decent supply earlier when they began the search for Galvatron. They returned of course with the Six-Changers, neither of whom partook in the energon spoils. Alpha Q watched curiously but with a slight smirk on his face when Motor Master, Scrapper and Onslaught approached. The Predacons immediately took a defensive stance before Alpha Q reigned them in, allowing the combiner leaders to finish their approach.

"Have you made your decision?" Alpha Q asked.

Onslaught stepped forward. "We've deliberated amongst ourselves and accept your terms, so long as you do nothing to betray us."

"Rest assured that such a betrayal will never occur," Alpha Q claimed and motioned to the interior of the ship. "Now if you please, the Autobots await their imminent demise."

The Decepticons entered into the ship, at times climbing over each other. The only Decepticon to not join was Blitzwing. He was disgusted with the 'Cons for more or less betraying Galvatron even though he wasn't present. Considering that Cyclonus and Scourge had yet to return, with or without Galvatron, did the Decepticons really have an option? Blitzwing noticed someone not in any hurry to enter the ship. It was Fracture. She like the other 'Cons partook in the energon stockpile, but when it came time to board the Quintesson vessel, she backed off. She saw Blitzwing standing by and approached, bringing with her a single energon cube. From the ramp, Barricade saw Fracture going to Blitzwing. He contemplated for a moment, looked at his severed arm, and then hopped from the ship and went to join Blitzwing and Fracture. Blitzwing was hardly shocked but was a bit surprised, which was saying a lot.

"It thought you two would be out of here," he said. "Had a change of Spark?"

"The energon's nice and all, but I don't trust those Quintessons one bit," Fracture explained. "Besides, it's suicide for you stay here on your own."

"It's suicide for me to go without repairs," Barricade said. "That, and I kind of like this planet."

"That wouldn't be surprising with you, Barricade." Fracture said.

On the ship, Sixshot and Quickswitch looked at the three lone 'Cons. "Should we stick with them?" Quickswitch asked.

"Naw! They wanna kill themselves, that's their problem." Sixshot said and moved on into the ship.

Quickswitch hesitated for a moment and then made a move down the ramp. But he ran into a problem; the Predacons were in the way, sneering and growling at him. It was like they wanted him in the ship immediately. Quickswitch was about to attack but realized that it would be unwise to cause an issue, like risk blowing up the ship. He entered the ship followed by the Predacons and then the ramp closed behind them. A moment later, the ship's engines ignited, kicking a cloud of dust into the air. The ship took off and jetted toward the stars. Blitzwing, Barricade and Fracture watched the ship vanish into the sky and when it finally did, they resigned themselves to waiting for Cyclonus and Scourge to return. Hopefully, with Galvatron.

* * *

><p>The Axalon, the flagship of the Wreckers, docked at hanger inside Outpost One. It was large enough to accommodate the vessel and as such, the station itself was large enough for the Wreckers. Four of them, Drift, Roulette, Airazor and Depth Charge, disembarked and entered the station. The many humans that were going about their business stopped in their tracks and marveled at the four commando Autobots. It annoyed Depth Charge, given his dislike of humans. He did admire their ingenuity in building a space station. It was a start.<p>

Meanwhile, Marissa and Major Lennox were moving down the corridor to the platform. Marissa had a space suit on minus the breathing helmet. That was all the indication Lennox needed to know that Marissa planned on joining the Wrecker on the coming rescue mission. He was against it, naturally.

"This is way out of our league, Marissa," he said. "Io is a volcanic planetoid orbiting a gas giant. That kind of put organic thing, like say humans, in danger."

"An Autobot ship went in our solar system, Will. Yours and mine. That deserves our attention." Marissa said.

"You're intending to fly to a moon with a volcanic surface and breathable air to speak of," Lennox went on. "With all due respect, that is idiotic."

"Sometimes idiocy works," Marissa said and suddenly stopped. "Look, Will, you don't have to agree with my decision, but I expect you at least respect it."

Marissa went on her way to meet with the Wreckers, leaving Lennox behind to think about what she said. She had to have the last word. Lennox knew that. After all, Marissa was still the EDC Director, and her decision stood. Lennox didn't like it. He went off to see if he could catch up with Marissa. She was just about to reach the hanger where the Wreckers and their ship waited. Depth Charge was the first to notice Marissa's arrival but had no idea what brought her there. At least, not until he noticed the space suit and helmet.

"Aw no, you not going anywhere, human." he said.

"I wasn't asking, Depth Charge," Marissa said. "This incident happened in my system. That makes it my problem to deal with."

"Two Autobots are involved in this incident," Depth Charge explained. "That makes it our mission. Personally, I doubt you'll do us any good."

Drift had overheard the exchange and added, "He's right, Marissa. I won't risk your safety by having you accompany us."

"I might be young by your standards, Drift, but I'm not a Private," Marissa said confidently. "Besides, do you have any knowledge on the kind of place you're going? I don't think you do?"

Roulette came up to Drift and said, "As much I hate to admit it, she's got a point. We've seen some of the Earthling's home system, but what do we really know?"

"I don't like but…" Drift said. "…if you that bent on helping us, Marissa, I guess I don't have a choice."

"She's not going alone," said Lennox, having entered the hanger amid the argument. He approached Drift and saluted. "Major William Lennox, formerly United States Marine Corp. assigned to Earth Defense Command at the request of Director Faireborn."

"Where do these humans come from?" Depth Charge muttered and returned to the Axalon.

Airazor followed and lightheartedly quipped, "They multiply. They're like techno-rabbits, you know? So cute you just wanna squeeze 'em, right, Depth Charge?"

"Oh, shut up, Airazor."

Airazor looked down at Lennox and shrugged. "He's not so bad once you get to know him." Then she returned to the Axalon.

"I can't in good conscience endanger the lives of two humans." Drift said.

"With all due respect, Drift, is it," Lennox said, to which Drift nodded. "I've been through worse situations on Earth, in places like Qatar and Afghanistan. A rescue mission in space may be different, but still similar in some aspects."

Drift, deep down in his Spark chamber, came to admire Lennox's dedication. "If you can contribute to the mission and follow orders, I'll take all the help I can get. Get on board." He said.

Marissa and Lennox exchanged looks of collective approval as they entered the Axalon. Drift and Roulette followed. The interior of the Axalon was massive to the two humans, while it was also the usual length and width for the Wreckers. Seated at the helm of the ship were Bulkhead and Stratosphere. They were checking and re-checking the systems to make certain everything was in place for launch. Roulette, Airazor and Depth Charge took to separate chairs and began operating the consoles there. Drift was the last to enter the ship and sealed the ramp behind him.

"Alright, Wreckers, we're launching now," he said. "Stratosphere, set a course for the moon of Io. Bulkhead, take us out."

Stratosphere glanced briefly at Marissa. "Good to see you again, Marissa. Who's your friend?"

The male human stepped forward. "William Lennox, United States Marine Corp."

"So the humans have Wreckers too?" Bulkhead asked curiously.

Marissa found that amusing. Cute even. "Not exactly, Bulkhead."

The Axalon ignited its thrusters and started its slow departure from Outpost One's hanger. A slight dip of its nose didn't stop it from exiting the hanger and entering space. Then as it righted itself into a straight, level position, it thrusters ignited further. With a jolt, the Axalon rocket away on route to Io where Blur and Wheelie were awaiting rescue. That was assuming that they were still alive.

* * *

><p>Location: Chaar<p>

By the time of arrival, it became apparent to Cyclonus and Scourge that they were in deep trouble. The planet, specifically the very spot were the Decepticons were supposed to be, was completely deserted. There wasn't any sight of them, save for the remains of Dreadwind and Darkwing. After a brief flyover, Cyclonus and Scourge assumed proto form and landed swiftly on the surface. Skyquake followed the lead before Galvatron transformed and landed right in front of them. He paid no mind of the dust he kicked up in his landing, instead surveying the landscape. This was Chaar, he thought with a vague sense of disgust. This was where his troops had been exiled to by those accursed Autobots after the destruction of Unicron?

"Cyclonus," Galvatron said in as calm and calculated a tone as he could manage. Cyclonus approached apprehensively, and then felt Galvatron's hand grip his neck. "Would you care to explain to me why my soldiers are not here AS YOU CLAIMED?" he growled and squeezed the saboteur's neck at the same time.

Cyclonus struggled in Galvatron iron grip as he was lifted off the ground. "They… they were here when… we began our search for you."

Galvatron pulled Cyclonus closer. "Where. Are. They."

"I don't know," Cyclonus said, and Galvatron squeezed harder. "I swear… on the Fallen's Spark."

"Well, well, well," said Skyquake. "So much for the reign of Galvatron. Looks like your soldiers have grown weary of the wait for your return."

"And I grow weary of you, Skyquake."

Galvatron released Cyclonus, unsheathed his duel edged sword and charged at Skyquake. Skyquake pulled on a similar sword and blocked the first blow. They became locked in a test of strength, neither of them being able to budge the other even an inch. Their swords scraped against each other, causing sparks to jump and disappear. Then they broke off in a stalemate and before they could continue, Scourge had suddenly spoken up.

"Galvatron, I found them."

Galvatron to where Scourge had called from and saw Blitzwing, Barricade and Fracture with him. "You three. Where are the rest of my soldiers."

Barricade muttered to Fracture, "Oh great, looks who's back in town." Fracture said nothing.

"Galvatron," said Blitzwing. "You really are alive."

"I live, but you won't, Blitzwing, if you don't answer my question. And I'm in no mood to ask twice." Galvatron said.

"I… I can explain, Galvatron. Just don't scrap me." Blitzwing begged.

Galvatron stormed over and stopped suddenly, looming over Blitzwing. He said in a frightening tone. "I'm listening."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Let's stop right there for now. Note the difference of Springer's fate between the old cartoon and this story. He didn't get hacked to pieces but instead seriously wounded and started to bleed. Or leak. Well, whatever.<p>

Also, I tweaked the Blitzwing scene to included Barricade and Fracture sticking around. Not that it'll save them from a very angry Galvatron!

Anyway, let me know what you think so far.


	11. The Titan Rises

Disclaimer: The story continues onwards with this latest entry. Before we get started, I have a new poll on my profile. Check it out. Oh, and I don't own the rights to Transformers.

By the way, dr-fanmai-lover, I have no idea what you're saying. Seriously, your reviews aren't making sense. I'm not being mean, but I'd appreciate it if you made your review make a little more sense. I'm just saying.

* * *

><p>Chapter XI<p>

Location: Chaar

Blitzwing told Galvatron everything about the Quintessons when they arrived on Chaar. Then Blitzwing ended up on the ground when Galvatron slugged him. "What was that for? I told you all I know."

Galvatron pinned his foot down onto the Triple-Changer's face. "You stood aside while these Quintessons absconded with my Decepticons."

"What was I supposed to do? Join them," Blitzwing said as he felt Galvatron grind his heel in. "So what if we took out the Autobots?"

"You idiot," Galvatron stomped Blitzwing repeated in the face torso. "You should've blown them all clear across the galaxy. Every one of them should be punished by now."

"But what about the Autobots?" Blitzwing begged in between stomps.

"Who cares about the Autobots," Galvatron shouted. "I could rend them all without a thought, anytime I wish. I can rip their Sparks out one by one and feat on their broken remains whenever I choose. But how, I ask you, Blitzwing, can that be done if I have no troops to command, you miserable pile of scrap iron refuse?"

Galvatron continued his outright assault on Blitzwing as the few remaining Decepticons watched. They made no move to either stop Galvatron or assist Blitzwing. The reasons were obvious; trying to stop Galvatron would result in someone else getting the scrap beat out of them. Cyclonus and Scourge could attest to that. Helping Blitzwing would put someone at risk of incurring Galvatron's rage. Fracture knew that and even Barricade wasn't that stupid. In the case of Skyquake though, he was thoroughly enjoying the show. He enjoyed watching Galvatron pound Blitzwing. Cyclonus, behind his normally stoic expression, knew he was enjoying it. That was until Galvatron raised his particle cannon and pointed right at Blitzwing at point blank range. Cyclonus suddenly stepped in, pulling the weapon back. It fired into the sky and dissipated a moment later.

The reward for Cyclonus was a swift punch to his face from Galvatron. "You must have a death wish, Cyclonus," Galvatron said. "You ruined the due punishment of this multi-forming buffoon for his failure!"

"Please, Galvatron! I mean not to question you're leadership, but…" Cyclonus began to explain but Galvatron pinned him down.

"But what, Cyclonus. Spit it out before I tear out your transistors."

"Blitzwing failed here, there's no denying that, but he may yet be of some use to you," Cyclonus said. "And, we still have Trypticon. He awaits your commands. We can eradicate the Autobots and the Quintessons in one swift assault."

Galvatron considered for a long moment, and then he pulled Cyclonus up. They went face to face. "You go beyond yourself, Cyclonus. But I'm willing to give Blizwing a chance to redeem himself. He'd best not waste it because if he does, I'll waste him and then I'll waste you," With the last word spoken, Galvatron released Cyclonus and turned to his group of 'Cons. "Now, we make for Cybertron. There, we resurrect Trypticon, and then we rain fire upon the Autobots, the Quintessons and the rest of those traitorous Decepticons."

With that, the Decepticons under Galvatron's leadership transformed and launched into the sky. Galvatron didn't follow because he could feel Skyquake leering at him, laughing. "Do you know what I find amusing," Skyquake let the question sink in before going on. "That your Decepticons would go off to follow someone else."

Galvatron slowly but menacingly got in Skyquake's face. Do you know what _I_ find amusing," He let the question sink in. "That I let you live this long without blowing you in half. Make no mistake, Skyquake; when the time comes, I won't hesitate to do to you what I did to Starscream. You can count on that."

Skyquake didn't appear the slightest bit intimidated. "I'm so scared, Galvatron," he mocked and then got serious." But don't dare overlook the fact that I'm not Starscream. Besides, I know who you used to be… Megatron."

Galvatron wanted to slug Skyquake for just the mere mention of his former identity. He didn't. Instead, he transformed and jetted into the sky. Skyquake gleefully watched. If he had a mouth, he would've smiled because he knew he had Galvatron right where he wanted him. A little more of these games, and Galvatron would be out of the way. Then Skyquake could take his rightful place as leader of the Decepticons. He transformed and took off, joining the Decepticons, _his_ future troops, to Cybertron.

* * *

><p>"Ow! Take it easy one my wing, Tempest." said Slingshot.<p>

Tempest did her very best to patch up Air Raid amid his fidgeting. "I'm doing the best I can manage, Slingshot. First Aid gave me basic medical training, but I'm not miracle worker."

"No, but you are one gorgeous ex-Decepticon!" Slingshot said in the most unflattering tone ever heard.

"Hey, watch it, Slingshot," Breakaway shouted. "That's my girl you're talking about."

"And how 'bout you pay attention to what you're doing, Breakaway," Air Raid said. "My leg won't fix itself."

"Yeah, yeah!"

Slingshot chuckled and muttered, "Jealous much?"

"Keep it up, Slingshot, and I'll weld your afterburners shut. Yours too, Air Raid." Tempest said with an edge in her tone.

Breakaway smiled at that. "That's my girl."

While Breakaway, Tempest and the two Aerialbots bickered amongst themselves, Silverbolt, Sky Dive and Fireflight were at the helm of Sky Lynx's shuttle form. The three of them escaped their assault by the Predacons with relatively minor injuries. Sky Lynx did most of the piloting, having been insistent that he didn't need anyone doing it for him. It annoyed the passengers within his module, his over-sized ego. Right at the very moment of entering the Sol System, an alert sounded.

"Heads up, my fellow Autobots," Sky Lynx announced. Very loudly announced. "My magnificently accurate long range sensors have picked up a distress beacon within the Sol System."

"A distress beacon? Where, Sky Lynx?" Silverbolt asked.

"According to my amazingly perfect readouts, as they always are per…"

"Will you just get to the slagging point!" Fireflight shouted, pretty much conveying the thoughts of everyone on board.

"Thank you!" Sky Dive said.

Sky Lynx was silent for a moment and then said, "No appreciation for greatness. Anyway, the beacon appears to be emanating from the vicinity of what the humans call Jupiter, specifically on the moon of Io."

"Anything else, Sky Lynx?" Silverbolt asked.

"Yes," sky Lynx said. "Apparently, I've detected faint energon signatures not unlike our own. Except, these signatures were left behind… oh no!"

"What's wrong, Sky Lynx? What about these signatures?" Tempest asked.

"They were left behind by Galvatron," Sky Lynx said. "He must've intercepted the ship carrying Blur and Wheelie."

"He's alive?" Breakaway exclaimed in shock.

"Never mind that," Silverbolt said. "Sky Lynx get us to Io. With any luck, Blur and Wheelie are alive."

"I'll get us there as only I can." Sky Lynx said.

"Just shut up and get us there." Fireflight said.

* * *

><p>Location: Cybertron<p>

Galvatron was in no mood to be discreet once he entered the orbit of Cybertron. He was unconcerned of the extensive damage done the planet by Unicron. He was even less when the automated guns detected his presence. Instinctively, the Decepticons following Galvatron broke off to avoid being shot out of the sky. Glavtron did not break off. He rocketed directly toward the guns as they began firing at him. The shots came fast and furious, detonating all around Galvatron as he approached. As fast as the shots were, Galvatron was faster in alt form. He was also too small a target to hit and used that to his advantage. In a flash, Galvatron blasted the guns apart one by one until there was one remaining directly below Galvatron. In midair, Galvatron transformed to proto form, aimed his particle cannon and fired straight down. The gun was vaporized on impact, leaving nothing but a heap of melted steel. Galvatron slammed down to one knee only mere feet from the destroyed gun. The other Decepticons arrived just as he was upright, seeing the disgust in his face.

"The Autobots leave Cybertron in the care of these Sparkless implements while they laze about elsewhere," he mused in building anger. "Pathetic. A waste of time and resources."

"Yes, much like the search for you, Galvatron." Skyquake said, not even trying to mask his tone.

Galvatron glared menacingly at Skyquake. "Keep talking, Skyquake," he dared Skyquake and looked to Cyclonus. "Cyclonus, show me the way to the subsurface. And do so quickly; I feel my patience wearing very thin."

Cyclonus nodded without a word and took point with Galvatron close behind him. The other Decepticons, save for Skyquake, were reluctant to follow but did so. The threat of Galvatron's wrath was clearly greater than confronting Trypticon. Cyclonus led Galvatron through what remained of Kaon after the Unicron battle, eventually reaching the entrance down into the subsurface. The site was unchanged from their last visit and Galvatron surveyed it. He was nonplussed by the site, looking at Cyclonus for confirmation. This was clearly the way to Trypticon's resting place.

"So, this is the place?" he asked.

"It is," Cyclonus said. "Trypticon rests far below the surface, awaiting your arrival."

"We're not going down there again, are we?" Barricade asked, earning himself an irritated nudge from Fracture.

"No," Galvatron said. "I will handle this on my own. The rest of you will remain and await my return."

"You're going down there, into pitch black darkness to talk to something that hadn't been heard from in Primus-knows-how-long," Blitzwing said. "How do you know this Trypticon thing won't blow you apart?"

"Forgive me, Galvatron, but I agree with Blitzwing." Cyclonus said.

"Then you're both wrong." Galvatron said and started on his way.

"Are you certain that you do not require assistance, Galvatron," Cyclonus asked. "This _is _Trypticon of whom we speak."

"You're obviously intimidated, Cyclonus. Tell me this," Galvatron looked directly at Cyclonus, his optics glowing crimson red. "Do I _look_ intimidated?"

Cyclonus didn't answer since he knew doing so would make him look stupid or weak. With his Second-in-Command put in his place, Galvatron proceeded down into the subsurface, alone. It was just as Blitzwing suggested; pitch black save for the familiar violet grooves that pulsated deep into the subsurface. Trypticon had better be down here, Galvatron thought. For if he was being led astray, he'd have Cyclonus' head.

* * *

><p>For some extended time, Galvatron traversed the subsurface beneath Kaon, particularly reaching the vault beneath Shockwave's demolished laboratory. There he noticed a series of depressions lining the walls, and Galvatron surmised that this was where Skyquake came from along with whoever else was found. He heard a faint rumble, not unlike a large animal. Cybertron wasn't known for its wildlife, but it had its share of such creatures. Many of them were joined to the Decepticons' side, Laserbeak and Ravage being among them. But Trypticon was no mere animal, Galvatron knew this. In the early cycles of the Great War, Trypticon was nothing but an orbital station. That was until Shockwave got his hands on it and gave it sentience.<p>

After that, a conversion cog was put in place, and Trypticon was born. The Decepticons' ultimate weapon of mass destruction; at least that was how Megatron saw it. But things had changed since the War; the exodus, the arrival to Earth, the deaths of Optimus Prime and Megatron, the coming of Unicron that led to the birth of Galvatron. It all led to this moment, where Galvatron stood alone in darkness and knew, there and then, that he wasn't alone as he thought. He rounded to his left, cannon pointed at two gigantic yellow optics. The silhouette of a reptilian face moved in the darkness, inching closer to Galvatron, who didn't flinch or lower his gun.

"You are not Megatron, and yet I sense his presence before me." Trypticon said.

Without lowering his gun, Galvatron said, "No, I'm not Megatron. At least not anymore. I am Galvatron, leader of the Decepticons and, well, let's say I am Megatron's successor."

"A billion solar cycles I've laid dormant, waiting to be awakened from my slumber," Trypticon said in a methodical tone. "Now that you are here, Galvatron, I will hear you."

Galvatron lowered his gun, cautiously of course. "Very well. A great many of my troops have taken to following an alien species called Quintessons, thus abandoning the Decepticon ranks. I intend to make see error of the ways; by tearing them all limb from limb."

"You seek to reclaim your rightful place among the Decepticons." Trypticon surmised.

"That I do, but therein lies a dilemma; I need a vessel to track them down," Galvatron explained. He waited for Trypticon to speak, maybe object to such a mundane request. When the juggernaut didn't, Galvatron continued. "You are unique, Trypticon, in that you are the oldest known Triple–Changer in Cybertron's history, thanks in part to the dearly departed Shockwave. The type of power you wield would tip the scales in the Decepticon's favor."

"I would relish the opportunity to bring death to the Autobots once more, but I ask you," Trypticon said. "What of Optimus Prime? In the War, he was my intended target. Does he still live?"

Galvatron chuckled. "He does not. I… Megatron saw to that when he crushed up Optimus Prime with his bare hands. But he has a successor; an inexperience young bot by the name of Rodimus Prime. I intend to do to him what Megatron did to Optimus."

"What then?" Trypticon asked.

"Once we've recovered the remnants of the Decepticon ranks and eradicated Rodimus Prime, we will travel to a planet called Earth," Galvatron explained. "The Autobots have established a city there on which Megatron led an assault and where Optimus Prime fell. There, you, Trypticon, can finish what Megatron started and raze that city to the ground. Then the Decepticons will take their rightful place as rulers of the galaxy. Now, what say you, Trypticon?"

Trypticon drew closer into the dim lit vault, revealing his massive black and purple reptilian face. "I accept. Commencing transformation."

Trypticon slipped back into the shadows, where the familiar sound of conversion was heard. Galvatron could smile with maniacal glee, because he knew the Autobots' end was assured.

* * *

><p>Skyquake paced back and forth like a caged animal. He was obviously sick of waiting. "This is a waste of time, Cyclonus. Galvatron isn't coming out. Trypticon may have destroyed him for all we know."<p>

"He'll be here, Skyquake," Cyclonus said from where he stood, leaning against a scorch wall with his arm folded. "You should try being a little more patient."

"Patient? We're being led astray by a madman. Galvatron is clearly unfit to lead the Decepticons, can you not see it," Skyquake bellowed. "If anyone should be leading the Decepticons, it should be me."

"Why are you so obsessed with leadership," Scourge asked. "Galvatron might be a bit off, but he is clearly the strongest to lead. And he wouldn't take kind to usurpers. Just asked Starscream."

"Galvatron is unbalanced. He's reckless, he's arrogant. Is that what the Decepticons need from their leader? I rather doubt it, and I'm done waiting," Skyquake pulled his shotgun and aimed it at the subsurface entrance. "There's only room for one leader of the Decepticons, and it will be me."

"You have no idea who you're dealing with, Skyquake. Galvatron will eradicate you for this." Scourge shouted.

"Not if I eradicate him first."

A sudden and unexplainable tremor sent Skyquake and the other Decepticons to the ground. It was as if Cybertron was coming apart. For a brief moment, some of the 'Cons believe Unicron had come back from the dead to wreak vengeance upon them. That notice was quickly dismissed, because the surface where the 'Cons stood was cracking open. Instinctively, the flight capable Decepticons took off; Blitzwing transformed partway to hoist up Barricade and Fracture. Something began to emerge from underneath the surface and whatever it was, it was big. Very big. It was a ship, not unlike the _Nemesis-_class cruisers used during the Great War, but much bigger. A figure stood on the hull. It was Galvatron, standing tall and proud.

"Decepticons, Trypticon rises again," Galvatron declared. "Now we depart, for we have Autobots to hunt, turncoat Decepticons to punish and Quintessons to annihilate."

* * *

><p>Location: Io<p>

Blur struggled to dig himself out of the wreckage of the ship, which had split in half while airborne and then burst into flames on impact. Or maybe the flames came from the landscape of Io, a very inhospitable environment to be right now. Wheelie was nowhere to be found, nor was the conversion cog. Blur didn't like that. He didn't hate Wheelie; he liked the little Autobot actually. If Wheelie was injured or couldn't be found, or worse, Blur wouldn't be able to live with himself.

"Wheelie? Wheelie-Wheelie-Wheelie-say-something-Wheelie-anything-crack-wise-give-me-something-so-I-know-you're-alive." Blur said.

Something was heard digging out of the wreck and Wheelie appeared no worse for wear, along with the conversion cog intact. He'd huddled himself onto it to protect it from damage, at the risk of his own life. Wheelie dusted himself off and limped over to Blur with the cog, examining it to ensure it was undamaged. It wasn't damaged; only filthy from the dirt of whatever moon they were on.

"Bad ride, worse landing, but I'm alive and standing." he said, looking around. "Call me wacky from birth, but I don't think this is Earth."

"This-is-definitely-not-Earth-no-no-no-we're-still-a-long-way-from-Earth-no-thanks-to-Galvatron," Blur said. "We're-not-getting-to-Earth-anytime-soon-not-without-a-ship."

"So if it's just me and you, what then do we do?" Wheelie asked while clutching the cog.

"We-wait-have-to-wait-no-choice-but-to-wait-for-rescue-from-someone-somewhere-out-there. I-hope-someone-gets-here-soon-because-I-really-really-really-don't-like-this-place-one-bit." Blur said.

Blur had reason not to like the moon he and Wheelie were on. Io's active volcanoes, most of which were at a distance, were messing up their visual systems. Then there was the lava; Blur and Wheelie could survive direct contact with it, but the cog Wheelie was holding was vulnerable. If that cog was dropped in the lava, that was it, and Metroplex would be stuck in city mode. But there was something far worse in store for the marooned Autobots that they were unaware of. Far in the distance, strange creatures began to emerge from beneath the surface. They seemed to resemble insects, only appeared to be roughly the size of a small Earth vehicle. They were about the size of Blur, and slightly larger than Wheelie. And they were heading right towards the marooned Autobots.

* * *

><p>Author's note: In case you don't notice it right away, I extended this entry from its previous length to reveal the fate of Blur and Wheelie. Still, it's shorter than the previous chapters but it serves its purpose.<p>

One thing that's clearly different from the animated series is Trypticon's debut; in the series, he was created on Earth by the Constructicons. Here, he was found resting beneath Cybertron following the Great War ala "War For Cybertron." We've all played that game, haven't we? Let me know what you think so far.


	12. Help From Unliking Sources

Disclaimer: Aw, what happened to the reviews for the last chapter? Actually, forget I asked. I know it was little rushed and that not my style. Anyway, here's my early Christmas present to ya'll.

Like always, I don't own the rights to Transformers.

* * *

><p>Chapter XII<p>

Location: Autobot Headquarters  
>Oregon Mountains<p>

After landing the shuttle at the Metroplex, leaving Perceptor behind to help Wheeljack, as well as leaving the remaining Dinobots at Dinobot Island, Jazz raced across the dirt lands of the Oregon Mountains to Autobot Headquarters. Carly and Daniel were riding inside his vehicle form, with Carly at the wheel. It was to keep up appearances, she said. It was a thoughtful gesture even thought they were in the middle of nowhere. In the distance, a set of three road vehicles approached from the west, where the crashed hulk of the Ark lay within the dormant volcano. Jazz easily recognized all of them. Carly and Daniel knew two of them to be Cliffjumper and Pipes. The third, a white and green car, was a mystery. Jazz knew him by the name of Tailgate. He was a scout on Cybertron and a good one, but on Earth, Tailgate had a habit of attempting to _liberate_ common household machines and other non sentient vehicles. Cliffjumper said Tailgate was a few keys short of a computer console.

After this brief rendezvous, the Autobots continued on toward Headquarters. The interior of the base was still being reconstructed by Grapple, Hoist and the Protectobots. Progress was slow after the Decepticons' recent assault. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were at least able to get communications back up between the base and the city. In addition, Bluestreak and Seaspray had returned from Japan following rumors of the Nightbird ninja robot reactivating. Cliffjumper railed on them for as he put it, _abandoning their post_, but like always, he had no proof of such claims.

Jazz, Cliffjumper, Pipes and Tailgate rolled into the base, streaking to a stop so Daniel and Carly could exit before they assumed proto form. "What's the situation here? Wheeljack told Perceptor and me that the Wreckers pulled the ol' space jump."

"I can verify that, Jazz," said Bluestreak. "There's some kind of incident involving Blur and Wheelie. They got the conversion cog for Autobot City."

"Metroplex," Jazz. "That's what everybody's callin it these days."

"They can call it the tail end of my crankshaft for I care," Cliffjumper said. "Wheelie probably jettisoned the cog into space. I knew we couldn't trust that little runt."

"You think the same thing about everybody, Cliff." said Bluestreak.

"What's your point?"

"You're paranoid, Cliffjumper," said Tailgate. "Everyone knows that, even the captive machines of this world."

"This, coming from the bot whose got more screws loose than all of the Dinobots combined." Cliffjumper argued.

Daniel saw Bumblebee working with Sideswipe on a terminal and approached him. "Hey, Bee. How're you doing?"

Bumblebee turned to Daniel and smiled. But when he went to speak, all he could manage were a series of chirps and clicks. Daniel had forgotten about what happened to the scout when he was trapped inside Unicron's body. Bumblebee was still recovering after his vocal processor was damaged. First Aid did what he could to patch up the scout, and Bumblebee, through broken words and chirping sounds, insisted he was fit for duty. It was admirable of him. Still, Daniel felt foolish. Bumblebee felt distressed and walked off. Sideswipe had watched the whole thing.

"His voice still giving him problems?" Daniel asked.

"First Aid repaired Bee's vocal processor as best he could, but it's still taking a lot of time for the effects to kick in," Sideswipe explained solemnly. "He wants to work so we're letting him help. After everything that's happened, especially with Optimus gone, it's the least we can do."

Carly had only just approached and asked Sideswipe, "How do you think Rodimus is doing as the leader?"

Sideswipe looked to be in thought before saying, "Well, Sunstreaker has his doubts about Rodimus. Me… I haven't made up my mind on Rodimus."

"So you have no opinion whatsoever on Rodimus?" Carly asked, sounding as if she was now interrogating Sideswipe.

"Hey, don't get me wrong, Carly," Sideswipe said. "Between you and me, no one can replace Optimus Prime. I'm hoping that Rodimus has it in him."

Daniel and Carly could both see where Sideswipe was coming from, but their opinions differed from his. Optimus Prime was without peer; the greatest Autobots of them all. He sacrificed everything preserve the rights of all sentient beings. Including his life. On the other hand, Rodimus was still young; reckless and arrogant when he was still known as Hotrod. Daniel had faith in Rodimus Prime that he could fill Optimus Prime's place. Since most of the other Autobots didn't seem to have much faith in him, save for Jazz and maybe Sideswipe, Rodimus had to find a way to prove them wrong. The question remained however; where was Rodimus?

* * *

><p>Location: Deep Space<br>Ooze Planetoid

The stranded Autobots, along with the lone human and ex-bot turned Predacon, managed to carve their way into the structure of the Ooze infested planetoid. Arcee and Ultra Magnus carried the wounded Springer inside and sat him down in a corner. There was energon fluid seeping through the makeshift bandages provided by Blackarchnia. Because of that, Springer had begun to act delirious. It wasn't so bad that he was suddenly seeing hallucinations, if that were even possible for Transformers, but he was steadily weakening. Kup had resolved that Springer would go into stasis lock soon if something wasn't done. Either way, Springer seemed to losing sense of himself.

"C'mon, Springer," Arcee whispered worriedly. "Stay with us."

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," Springer whispered back weakly. "Although I think I'm seeing double right now."

"He's losing it. We've got to get him fixed soon or there won't be anything left to save." Arcee told Ultra Magnus.

"We've got get out of this mess first, Arcee." Ultra Magnus said.

Rodimus overheard their exchange but didn't respond. He was looking at a console that appeared to be in a stand-by mode."Elita," he said to Elita One. "What's this look like to you?"

Elita One looked closely at the console. "I can't be too sure, but this looks like it operates a heating agent within the ooze. That probably why the ooze is so…."

"Nasty!" Spike finished.

"That's one way of putting it," Elita concluded. "It looks like it's in a sleep mode or something."

"Can you operate it? "Spike asked.

Elita checked around for some indication of start up, finding nothing. "I don't understand the controls. This console, maybe this whole structure is as old as the planetoid itself."

"Hey," Kup said. "I think I've got a way to reach the Junkions here. This other console looks like it operates a communications array."

"I don't understand the language." Ultra Magnus said when he looked at the newly active screen.

"Probably because you don't talk TV," Rodimus quipped, earning a glare from Magnus and activated the console. A single, electronic line appeared on screen. "Rodimus Prime to the Junk Planet, come in. Wreck-Gar, do you read me," Rodimus waited for an answer but none came through. "C'mon, Wreck-Gar, respond."

"Maybe they're oiling their servos." Kup said.

Rodimus was growing impatient. "Hey, garbage-brains pick up the phone! We're lost in space, where no one's gone before. Danger, Will Robinson, danger and all that scrap!"

"Rodimus," Arcee suddenly shouted out. She was peering through the hole the Autobots had carved. "I think we've got company."

Rodimus Prime, Kup, Magnus and Elita joined Arcee at the makeshift entranceway and saw the all too familiar image of the Quintesson vessel. Grimlock saw it too and snarled at the sight of it. The ship hovered just of the oozy surface and a side hatch opened. The Autobots armed themselves, during which Rodimus motioned Arcee and Spike to stay with Springer. Suddenly, the Decepticons stormed out of the Quintesson vessel and started shooting. Sixshot and Quickswitch were at the forefront, Soundwave following them with his Minicons loose. The three combiner teams followed and they all starting firing on the structure where the Autobots hid.

"Well, it just got better." Kup quipped.

"Nowhere to go, Rodimus? What do we do?" Elita asked.

"Hold the line." Rodimus Prime said.

Above the battlefield, the Six-Changers hovered side by side. "Those Autobots are outnumbered, Sixshot," said Quickswitch. "We should consider taking hostages."

Where's the fun in that," Sixshot said and with a wave of his burly arm, shouted, "Decepticons: attack," The Cons went on the assault and Sixshot mused, "I always wanted to say that."

The Decepticons concentrated fire on the structure where the cornered Autobots held the line. The Stunticons, Combaticons and Constructicons all assumed their combined forms and landed in the ooze. That actually turned out to be a mistake on their part as Rodimus Prime noticed. As big as they were, Devastator, Menasor and Bruticus were only barely able to move. So they stood stationary but were still able to fire on the structure. The other Decepticons, Sixshot, Quickswitch and Soundwave and his Minicons, all remain airborne as from inside the Quintesson ship, Alpha Q and his cohorts look on.

The firefight was fast and furious and despite the Decepticons' numbers advantage, neither side could hold an edge. Since the ooze was still moist, Devastator, Menasor and Bruticus were unable to utilize their collective brute strength. Sixshot and Quickswitch maintain air superiority, rapidly transforming into their six alt forms. This kept the Autobots busy with trying just to stay alive. Their odds weren't all that good. Then those odd got worse; Quickswitch was bearing down on the structure, assuming proto form before entering.

"Surrender or die. Your choice." he said.

Then Grimlock suddenly lunged at the Six-Changer, biting into his arm. Quickswitch managed to shove him back but Grimlock was going to back down. He spewed of fire at Quickswitch, scorching a portion of his armor. The other Autobots bailed from the structure and continued to fight off the Decepticons. Arcee and Kup continued to protect Spike and the wounded Springer, keeping them both in between them. Rodimus Prime, Ultra Magnus and Elita One all collectively attacked Sixshot, who was rapidly switching between his other forms. Elita and Magnus didn't know what to make of Sixshot other than that he was a threat.

A heavy thud was heard from inside the structure and Grimlock was seen flying out, having been tossed out by Quickswitch. The T-Rex hit the ooze with a boom before assuming proto form. He unsheathed a massive sword and a shield and charged back Quickswitch, who assume puma form and charge. Soundwave eventually sent Rumble, Freazy, Ratbat, Laserbeak and Ravage down to deal with Arcee and Kup. Ratbat went right for Springer, whose only real defense was shielding his face. The bat was then blasted away by a shot from Blackarachnia before she joined in the fight.

"That's two you owe me, handsome." she said.

Arcee fought off Rumble and Ravage while Kup had his hand full dealing with Laserbeak and Frenzy. Rodimus broke off to help Grimlock battle Quickswitch while Magnus and Elita faced off with Sixshot. The three gestalts, being unable to move in the ooze, disengaged and took to the air. In the Quintesson ship, Alpha Q continued to watch in utter glee. The Predacons, who'd remained onboard while the Decepticons disembarked, stayed perfectly still and silent. Alpha Q paid them no mind as he observed the goings on.

"Yes! Soon, the Autobots will be a thing of the past," he mused to himself. "Then, we will take care of the Decepticons, and once they are out of the way, Cybertron will be ours once more."

One of the other Quintessons suddenly said, "Lord Alpha Q, there is another ship approaching."

Back outside, the Autobots continued to fight for their lives against the Decepticons, who were now pressing their attack. Then the fighting came to a dead stop at the sight of a ship, massive and heavy and colored black, purple and silver. It loomed over the Quintesson ship like it was morsel on a space monster's dinner plate. The Autobots, Rodimus and Magnus in particular, saw the all too familiar image of the Decepticon insignia emblazed on the side of the hull. Not a good sign. Then suddenly and without warning, the ship opened fire, on everything and anything that moved; Autobot, Decepticon and Quintesson. The Autobots gathered and took cover back inside the structure while the Decepticons retreated back toward the Quintesson ship. The fire from the giant ship stopped the 'Cons dead in their tracks, like it was aiming specifically for them. A figure, tall and menacing, appeared on the hull of the vessel.

"Decepticons, you're rightful lord and master has returned."

In the structure, Rodimus Prime silently quipped, "Great! Look who's back in town!"

His presence known, Galvatron assumed spacecraft form and rocketed upward and looped around. The Decepticons' joy soon turned to terror when Galvatron fired on them. They scattered to avoid the fire from their manic leader as Alpha Q looked on. He was displeased, having not anticipated the return of Galvatron. He also didn't expect Galvatron to attack his own troops and surmised that something was different. The 'Cons that accompanied Galvatron were in no hurry to stop him as Galvatron returned to proto form and turned his attention to the Autobots, and at Rodimus Prime specifically.

"Rodimus Prime," he bellowed. "Get out here and face me. We have unfinished business."

A single shot of laser fire caught Galvatron flush on the shoulder knocking him out of the sky and into the ooze, and then Rodimus Prime stormed out of the structure. Alone. "Last time I saw you, you were falling through an inferno." Rodimus Prime said.

Galvatron rose up, sword in hand, and sneered, "You, of all Cybertronians should know, that my power is everything. Defeat is absurd. No Unicron to influence my actions this time. This time, I finish you off, MY WAY."

Galvatron charged, his sword raised over his head, directly at Rodimus Prime without a second thought. Despite the ooze, Galvatron moved at break neck speed. Rodimus Prime pivoted left of the opening strike and caught Galvatron square on the jaw. Galvatron swiped and missed, and Rodimus Prime caught the sword arm and knocked the weapon free. Galvatron quickly caught Rodimus with a hard punch to the face, knocking Rodimus down into the ooze. Before they could continue, another ship arrived and fired at the large ship. This new arrival appeared like some disheveled, totally cobbled together husk of mismatched steel. When it became all the more clear that it was a Junkion cruiser, Rodimus Prime kicked Galvatron down into the ooze where he disappeared beneath it.

The giant Decepticon ship fired at the Junkion cruiser without pause, but for all its firepower, it was slow moving. The Junkion cruiser was clearly the faster vessel and in its rapid movement, just barely missed a collision with Alpha Q's ship. The cruiser eventually came near the oozy substance and then something began to happen; the ooze started to melt away and reveal a hard surface underneath.

"Now's our chance," Rodimus Prime said. "Everyone get to the cruiser."

The Autobots rushed to the cruiser and filed in, with Arcee and Kup helping Springer inside. Grimlock followed with Spike on his shoulder with Ultra Magnus going in next. Elita One and Blackarachnia were next, a brief stare down between them before they entered. Rodimus Prime was about to follow when he was suddenly tripped by Galvatron. Galvatron pinned Rodimus down and attempted to strangle him, just as he tried to when under Unicron's influence. Rodimus managed to activate his buzz saw arm and slashed Galvatron's chassis. For good measure, Rodimus picked Galvatron and tossed into the un-expecting horde of Decepticons before sprinting for the cruiser. Ultra Magnus held his hand out for Rodimus Prime to grasp, which he did just as the cruiser was taking off.

Righting himself and seeing Wreck-Gar and two his followers at the helm, Rodimus Prime said, "Nice of you to show up, Wreck-Gar."

"Yes, come one, come all. Act now, receive free airline tickets to a destination of your choice." Wreck-Gar said in his usual speech.

"Just get us out of here, Wreck-Gar." Rodimus snapped.

The Junkion cruiser took off as Galvatron ordered the Decepticons to open fire on it. Most of their fire merely bounced off the hull without doing any real damage. The most damage done was a handful of part falling clear of the cruiser and into the ooze where they sank. Then the cruiser was gone, lost to the stars. The Decepticons ceased fire, which turned out to be a very bad idea. Galvatron suddenly flew into a rage and pounded the nearest 'Cons, Swindle, Mixmaster and Drag Strip. He laid right into them with overwhelming fury; he smashed Swindle's face in with a hard punch, kneed Drag Strip in the chassis and flipped Mixmaster up and over. None of the other 'Cons dared to stop Galvatron's rampage. Then Swindle made the mistake of question Galvatron.

"What was that for?" Swindle got another blow to the face that sent him to the ooze.

"That was for the blatant disloyalty you idiots have displayed," Galvatron snapped and stepped on Swindle's face, burying it into the ooze. "You will all pay the price for your betrayal, even if I have to administered said punishment myself… on all of you… one by one."

Onslaught stepped toward Galvatron and said, "Mighty Galvatron, there's no need for this."

"Shut up," Galvatron fired at Onslaught, who barely avoided the blast. "You, none of you, get to lie today. NONE OF YOU!"

"Please, it's not our fault. We didn't want to betray you, Galvatron," Onslaught stated. "We had no other choice."

Scrapper stepped forward and said, "The Quintessons came to us while we were weakened after Unicron's attack. They offered energon in exchange for our services. It… it was Motor Master's idea."

"Don't you point the finger at me, Scrapper," Motor Master boomed. "You went along with it. Onslaught too."

"I said SHUT UP," Galvatron fired another blast straight into the sky, effectively silencing the bickering Decepticons. "I'm don't give a damn about you excuses," Galvatron removed his foot and Swindle came gasping. "Just tell me where to find these Quintessons so I can rip them apart."

The Quintesson ship landed upright in the ooze and Alpha Q appeared on the ramp. "Ask and you shall receive."

Without pause, Galvatron stormed his way toward Alpha Q. The Predacons appeared and formed a barrier to protect their master. They growled at Galvatron, and Galvatron, like an animal in his own right, roared back at them. For the first time, the Predacons backed down, almost intimidated by his mere appearance. Alpha Q barely flinched when Galvatron was finally face to face with him. Despite the slanted position of the ramp, Galvatron still towered over Alpha Q.

"It is a pleasure to finally make you acquaintance, Galvatron." said Alpha Q.

"Save the greetings, worm, and explain to me why I shouldn't melt you into refuse. And do so quickly," Galvatron got right in Alpha Q face and finished, "for my patience is at a critical low."

Alpha Q only smiled and said, "I have a proposition for you, one that will in the end, benefit us both."

Galvatron narrowed his optics on Alpha Q and then said, "Then speak your piece and make it fast."

* * *

><p>The Autobots were fortunate to be out of range of the Decepticons' assault, even more so that Galvatron more or less did the work for them. The arrival of Wreck-Gar only made it better for them in the long run. Rodimus Prime was thankful that he could understand the Junkion leader's speech. Ultra Magnus concurred, mainly because he had no idea what Wreck-Gar was saying. Elita One and Spike didn't either but they could at least turn to Rodimus or Kup for translation. Then Wreck-Gar started talking, much to Magnus' and Elita One's chagrin.<p>

"Urgent bulletin: you were in danger of cancelation or losing your timeslot."

"What's he talking about?" Ultra Magnus asked, still in the dark of what Wreck-Gar said.

"He means we we're going to get killed," Rodimus Prime clarified. "Actually, we ought to thank Galvatron for the assist."

"You serious, lad?" Kup asked.

"Nope."

"Rodimus," Arcee said. Rodimus and Kup approached Arcee and found Springer sitting totally inert. His optics were dimmed. "He's gone into stasis lock." Arcee concluded.

"Wreck-Gar, get us to your home world as soon as possible." Rodimus told Wreck-Gar.

"Roger willco. Fret not," Wreck-Gar said. "He'll be fine. The writer won't kill him off; he's still one of the main characters."

"Who's he talking about exactly?" asked a completely dumbfounded Arcee.

An equally dumbfounded Rodimus Prime said, "That's where it gets weird with him."

Wreck-Gar finished his chatter by saying, "End of chapter and fade to black."

* * *

><p>Author's note: Oops! Wreck-Gar broke the Fourth Wall again. He also says Hi. Yeah, I know; he's an idiot!<p>

By the way, yes: Bumblebee is voiceless just like in Michael Bay films. How long, I can't say. Oh, wrong word, sorry.

Galvatron has lost his… oh, right, we've established that. Okay, um, just tell me what you think.


	13. What's Past Is Prologue

Disclaimer: Happy New Year. It's 2012, which means if you believe the Mayan Calendar, it's time to panic. If you don't, (at least I don't) it's time for another chapter in this story. Like always, I don't own Transformers.

* * *

><p>Chapter XIII<p>

On board the warship form of Trypticon, the newly regrouped Decepticons kept a weary optic on Alpha Q. Cyclonus, Scourge and Blitzwing were the most suspicious of the alien, especially Blitzwing. But it wasn't like he could, or even would, question Galvatron for letting Alpha Q into the ship. Galvatron only allowed Alpha Q aboard because he promised a means of destroying the Autobots. Galvatron was just as suspicious of the Quintesson leader, and if Alpha Q tried something, Galvatron would jettison him into a dying star. But Blitzwing, as addled by Alpha Q's presence as he was, was more concerned about the oddly stoic Skyquake. Since the moment he and Galvatron first met, they'd been at each other's throat, just like Megatron and Starscream so long ago. Galvatron _was_ Megatron once before Unicron reformatted, and Starscream was more or less a coward whose own demise was long overdue.

Skyquake _was_ _not_ Starscream. He seemed far from being the sort of coward Starscream was. He wanted to lead the 'Cons just as Starscream did. He made no secret of it, same as Starscream. But much unlike Starscream, Skyquake wasn't afraid to assert himself, which made the relationship with Galvatron all the more volatile. That made Blitzwing uneasy. A lot of things made the Triple-Changer uneasy, not the least of which being Alpha Q. So little was known about him aside from the fact that he was appeared techno-organic. Creatures of that nature weren't unheard of but they were extremely rare. Blitzwing was so focused on Alpha Q that he didn't notice Fracture standing beside him.

"You okay, Blitzwing?" she asked.

"I don't trust Alpha Q. He's up to something, I can tell," Blitzwing said. "And don't tell me I'm being paranoid, Fracture."

"Actually, you might have a point," Fracture admitted. "What's Galvatron thinking that slimy beast onboard Trypticon?"

"Who says he's thinking?" Blitzwing asked.

This was a very poor choice of words for Blitzwing, because from the sentient warship's bridge, Galvatron could hear him. As much as he wanted to tear into Blitzwing, the primary concern was with Alpha Q. The Quintesson leader was skulking around the bridge, eyeing the other Decepticons that were present but made no effort to speak to them. That was all well and good; it was time to get down to business with Galvatron.

"I must say, Galvatron," said Alpha Q. "Your new vessel is most impressive."

"I didn't permit you to board this ship so you could admire it, and I won't stand for your gaseous sycophancy," Galvatron said, clutching the hilt of his sword in his right hand. He wasn't taking any chances. "You wanted to talk, so talk."

"Of course, but to be safe," Alpha Q made a slight motion, and the five Predacons flanked him. Obviously, he wasn't taking any chances with Galvatron, just as Galvatron wasn't taking chances with him. "Can't be too careful, can we?"

"I'm not in the mood for suspense, alien. Get on with it," Galvatron snapped as he was growing impatient. "What's this so-called "proposition" of yours?"

"That depends," Alpha Q cryptically said. "Why do you hate the Autobots so much? Is it because they drove you from Cybertron? Or is it something else?"

"You think I care about Cybertron? I could easily reclaim it at any time of my choosing." Galvatron said as he squeezed the hilt of his sword.

"Hmph, is that so," said Skyquake. "If that's the case, Galvatron, then why haven't you taken Cybertron already? Are you scared of a few puny Autobots?"

Galvatron quickly raised his particle cannon and fired a shot at Skyquake. Skyquake quickly sidestepped the blast like it was nothing, which then struck the far corner of the bridge and left a huge scorch mark. The other Decepticons had already ducked down to avoid the blast knowing what it had once done to the late Astrotrain and to an extent, Starscream. Skyquake didn't know and didn't care, nor did he show the slightest hint of intimidation. He was taunting Galvatron and reveling in it. Galvatron was obviously not amused and charged, sword to the side. He tackled Skyquake into the wall and pinned him, leveling the blade to his neck. Skyquake only chuckled, as did Alpha Q only more silently.

"Well, that struck a nerve." Skyquake said.

"Indeed!" said Alpha Q.

Galvatron turned his sword back to Alpha Q only for the Predacons to step between them. "To your point, alien, why I despise the Autobots is none of your concern. In fact, maybe you should explain you interest in them. Or should extract the answer myself?"

"Well since you asked so nicely," Alpha Q said. "The Autobots were responsible for driving my race from Cybertron, just as they did the Decepticons after Unicron's destruction."

"Wait," said Cyclonus. "Are you claiming that you are Cybertronian?"

"The earliest in fact," Alpha Q explained with a smirk. "You see, we were the first to emerge from the Well of Allsparks, long before the Thirteen appeared. Then they drove us out of our home and took Cybertron for themselves."

In a corner, Barricade leaned next to Soundwave and whispered, "Okay, didn't that coming!" Of course, Soundwave said nothing.

Then Galvatron, pointed the tip of the blade at Alpha Q's face, said, "You're lying. You couldn't have existed in the time of the Thirteen. You most certainly couldn't have been present when the Fallen eventually betrayed them."

"Are you willing to take such a chance? Think about it; your Decepticons were exiled from Cybertron by the descendents of the Thirteen; the Autobots," Alpha Q continued. "We have a common enemy, Galvatron, one that has done us both wrong."

"Cute story," Galvatron said, then drew his sword back. "Pointless, but cute. Humor me then, Alpha Q; what is your proposal?"

"We combine forces, strike at the Autobots, eliminate them and take Cybertron for ourselves." Alpha Q said.

"The Decepticons take Cybertron, but what do you get out of it in return?" Galvatron asked.

Alpha Q smirked and stated, "In return for assisting you, I ask only to be granted asylum on Cybertron. As an added incentive," Alpha Q directed Galvatron's gaze to the Predacons. "I shall turn over control of the Predacons to you, to do as you see fit. Just be aware that they are not as mindless as they appear."

Galvatron glanced at the five animal-themed machines. "What makes them so special?"

"They were designed to form a single form, just as your three subgroups," said Alpha Q. "They could prove invaluable in the coming cycles."

"Say we take Cybertron, there's still the matter of the Autobots that reside in their mountain base and city," Cyclonus interjected. "What do we do about them?"

"A simple solution," Galvatron strode to the bridge control pressed a button. "Trypitcon, I have a very important mission."

The ship rumbled with the sound of a great beast, startling all but the Predacons. "I live to serve you, Galvatron," said Trypticon. "What is your command?"

As Galvatron spoke to Trypticon, Alpha Q's smirked widened. Everything was going according to plan.

* * *

><p>Location: Junk Planet<p>

The Junkion's home world hadn't changed much since they first encountered the Autobots, who at the time were on the run from the Decepticons. But they proved themselves in the battle against Unicron, and Rodimus Prime offered them asylum on Cybertron. Wreck-Gar more or less accepted for his people, although most of the Junkions remained on the Junk Planet. Wreck-Gar in particular proved a trusted ally and friend in spite of his mish-mash of a meta-processor and his bizarre antics. The Junkions were great at fixing thing too, which was sorely needed for Springer since he'd gone into stasis lock back on the ooze planetoid.

Ultra Magnus and Elita One had also sustained significant damage, leaving Rodimus, Kup, Arcee, Blackarachnia and Grimlock operational. Spike, the lone human, assisted in the repairs, and he marveled at the efficiency of the two Junkions fixing Magnus and Elita. Their names were Scrapheap and Trashbin, which might've been a reference to their cobbled-together appearance. Spike didn't say much about it and if he had, they probably would've taken any comments at face value. The made up for their appearance with their talent for rapid repair and that was all that mattered. Spike was impressed and so was Kup.

"I never get tired of watching them work." he said.

"I know," Spike said. "I mean, these guys could put Wheeljack to shame. Damn…"

"What wrong, Spike?" Kup asked.

"Nothing. I just wish my dad was still alive to see these Junkions at work." Spike said.

Kup didn't speak right away; he knew better. After Sparkplug sacrificed himself to save Daniel that day from Megatron, there wasn't much to say except that he died a hero. "Yeah; I miss him too, Spike."

Not far from Kup and Spike, Ultra Magnus was wincing at Scrapheap's attempts to repair his damaged arm. "Ouch. Could you at least to pay attention to what you're doing, Scrapheap?"

Scrapheap shot his head up and tilted it side to side while jabbering, "Hi-yo, whatcha, whatcha do 'bout nothin'! Dammit man, I'm a doctor, not a fortune teller. To boldly go where no one has gone before. And now for something completely different. ADRIAN!"

"These bots are starting to scare, Elita." Magnus said.

"Hey, it's not all bad," Elita said, looking at a few Junkions horsing around with Grimlock. "At least they're keeping Grimlock occupied. OW! Easy with that thing, Trashbin!"

Trashbin spouted out a simple, "DEE DEE DEE!"

"You have some bizarre friends, Elita," Blackarachnia sneered. "Funny; I thought you were out of friends."

Elita said nothing since she knew Blackarachnia was taunting her. Rodimus Prime and Arcee were quiet as Wreck-Gar worked on Springer. The physical repairs were easy to handle, but the lack of energon was another story. Springer still had enough to keep him in stasis lock, but until he got a recharge of the Transformer's lifeblood, he'd remain in an almost comatose state. That distressed Rodimus Prime more than he let on; Springer was like a brother and the thought of being unable to help him ate away at him. Even worse; it made Rodimus question his own self-worth in being a leader. As bad as Springer's predicament was, something else bothered Rodimus… the Quintessons. Briefly, he glanced at Arcee and Wreck-Gar, both preoccupied with Springer. Then he covertly snuck off.

Rodimus Prime found an alcove just out of sight of the group. He contemplated what he was about to do knowing the risk behind it. When he first ventured into the Matrix, meeting Primus in the process, Rodimus was shocked to the Spark by what he learned Quintessons. But that only scratched the surface. Rodimus needed to learn more, which meant he needed to go offline again. The only way to do that was to short circuit himself. He did that; his body went stiff as an iron slab a crackled with electricity before collapsing in heap and his optics dimmed.

* * *

><p><em>((I never thought I'd have to enter the Matrix a second time, but given the circumstances, I don't have much choice. I see myself tumbling down the same tunnel of light as before, yet my body isn't moving at all. Images of past events appear all around me; only this time the events are more recent. I see the destruction of Lithone by Unicron before he set his sights on Cybertron. I see the siege of Autobot City and the final battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron and Optimus passing the Matrix to Ultra Magnus. <em>

_Fast forward; I can see myself, former self, fighting alongside Galvatron of all bots against Nemesis Prime and an army of Sideways clones. Then we're fighting each other. I've been through all of this. Why am I seeing it again? Then I see images of… this can't be right. The moments in these new images haven't happened._

_Behind me, Primus, the maker of the Cybertronian race, appears in the same ethereal light as before. "You are witnessing moments in time that have yet to come to pass. But I sense that is not why you return to the Matrix, young Rodimus."_

"_I know you created the Quintessons all those eons ago, Primus, and that in they created us," I say to Primus. "But I need to know more? How did they create us and what happened that caused their exile?"_

"_You speak of a time long past, but it is not my place to tell the tale," Primus tells me. "There are those who have lived in the time of Quintessons; those who bore the burden of the Matrix. Seek them out, for they shall guide you through time and space."_

"_Who are they, Primus," I desperately ask. "Please tell me. I have to know."_

_But Primus is gone before I could learn more from him. The tunnel of light returns, moving so fast that my optics can't follow. Primus's words are still ringing in my mind. Those who bore the burden of the Matrix? Like Optimus? Or me? Then there was a blinding light and a figure began to appear. At first I think it might be Primus again, but the figure physical form is so much different. It is as tall is I am with shimmering silver body armor. It holds in its right hand a glowing sword and a shield in its left. My first instinct would be to arm myself, but I don't considering this figure didn't appear hostile._

"_I am Prima," he says. "I am the first of Primus's children, the first to bear the carry the Matrix within me. You seek to learn the true origins of our race, and the roll the Quintessons played in our creation. I will show you."_

_Prima waves his sword hand back. Like a blade cutting through the fabric of space-time, the tunnel of light rips open. I see a world vaguely familiar, dark and cold. It's Cybertron. I see scores of robots moving about performing what seem to be mundane tasks. On a platform elevated above the scene stand the Quintessons. I can see Alpha Q among them, that sick smile on his disgusting face._

"_In the beginning," Prima says. "The Quintessons used us as slave laborers, with some designed for consumer goods and others for military purposes. I was of the latter, designed as a warrior," The vision shifts into what looks like a gladiator pit. "For too long a time, I fought and at times, killed my own brethren for the amusement of our masters."_

_I watch as Prima battles another bot, a tall warrior with dark blue and red armor and brandishing a staff. They fight back and forth as Alpha Q and his Quintessons look, gleefully expressions on their faces. Suddenly, Prima gains the upper hand over his opponent and has him beaten. I can hear Alpha Q urging Prima to finish his opponent off._

"_In time, I grew tired of fighting my own kin and, in an act of defiance…" Prima says. "…I instead struck at our slavers."_

_Prima sprints toward the platform where the Quintessons stands, cutting down every guardsman that stands in his way. He climbs up the stairs, mowing down one guardsman after another. But there are too many of them and Prima couldn't possibly defeat them all. He doesn't stop climbing even as he is being wounded, in turn ripping through his enemies until he reaches Alpha Q. He is then blasted away, duck the stairs and back into the pit where his opponent stands, shocked._

_Seeing this, I turn to speak to Prima but he's vanished. I look around for him, not seeing the regal, dark blue and red bot behind me. "Prima died, but his act of defiance sparked a revolution," he says, startling me into facing him. "I am Nova Prime, the next to bear the Matrix. In the wake of my predecessor's passing, I joined my brethren in the rebellion against the Quintessons."_

_The vision shifts to a moment when Nova Prime and a large group of Cybertronian slaves invaded the citadel where the Quintessons reside. A battle ensues between the slave bots and their master's guardsman, with the guardsman suffering casualties. In the end, I witness Alpha Q and his Quintessons fleeing for their lives. After the battle, a number of bots gather around a fallen one._

"_We managed to drived to drive off the Quintessons, earning the right to as sentient beings, but the cost was high." Nova Prime tells me, and when I look closer, I see the fallen bot is Nova Prime himself._

"_The Matrix was passed on to me," says another bot, this was bright red and gold. "I am Guardian Prime and in the wake of the Quintessons' exile, I became the leader the consumer goods robots. In time, we can to be called Autobots."_

_So that's how we got the name. I think to myself._

"_For a time, there was peace but sadly, lasting eons of such never came fruition," says Guardian Prime. "Our militaristic counterparts, redubbing themselves Decepticons, waged war upon the Autobots. Influenced by the need for combat and conquest, the Decepticons struck at the ill-equipped Autobots…"_

_Guardian Prime vanishes and is replaced then by a silver and gold robot. "As a result of the war, Guardian Prime was killed. I, Zeta Prime, took on the burden of bearing the Matrix. And the forthcoming civil war began in earnest."_

_Images of ongoing conflict washed over as the Autobots and the Decepticons. I can see Zeta Prime, now armored and armed with a mighty sword, leading the counterattack against the Decepticons. But it looks like it was already a losing battle. In one particular moment, I witness Zeta Prime falling in battle._

"_We were overmatched and outnumbered by our militaristic counterparts, but another would stand to take up the fight."_

"_Who?" I ask._

_But Zeta Prime went on. "Knowing the Autobots could defeat the Decepticons with brute force, the newest leader made use of stealth tactics. By reconfiguring their bodies to be capable of shifting form, or transforming, the Autobots seize victory, and the First Golden Age began. Still, lasting peace was not to be."_

_I can now see Cybertron during its First Golden Age. So beautiful. Then, all the beauty is suddenly changed. I see fires raging out of control. Spires taller than anything known are crumbling to the surface. That is when the warships appear, unleashing scores of familiar looking airborne crafts. It dawns on me; the Decepticons had restarted the Great War. As I watch, Primus reappeared beside me. I look to him and see the pained expression in his face. I never expected to see emotion from him._

"_The Golden Age lasted nine million years before the Decepticons reemerged," he says. "They too had developed transformation, along with proto form flight abilities. One such bot was a young and ruthless gladiator who rose to become the leader of the Decepticons."_

_I see the bot that Primus is talking about and I feel my servos sparking. "Megatron."_

_I hear Megatron commanding his troops, bellowing those familiar words, "Decepticons: attack!" And they did._

_I look to Primus and asked, "What happened to Zeta Prime or the Prime who came after him?"_

"_Zeta Prime was slain in the outset of the resumed war. His successor vanished," Primus explains to me. "The Matrix was passed on to Apha Trion, an archivist and the last then-surviving of the Thirteen, until a new warrior could rise."_

_Primus waves his hand and the image melts away to a new image. A large and powerful bot emerges from a chamber. He just towers over me even though he can't see me. But I see him; the blue and silver legs, the red arms and torso and the familiar face. It's Optimus Prime, and I witness him face down Megatron for the first time. Then I witness Alpha Trion preparing to pass the Matrix on to Optimus. It's a surreal feeling witnessing my predecessor's rise to leader of the Autobots._

_"Alpha Trion," he says to the archivist. "I'm not worthy to carry such a burden."_

_"Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing, Optimus," says Alpha Trion. "But I've watched you fight with courage and sacrifice; the virtues of a leader. There are none more suited to carry the Matrix of Leadership," Alpha Trion hands Optimus the Matrix, and Optimus, reluctantly, takes it. It glows the very same blue hue I've seen when I took it. "No go, Optimus Prime," says Alpha Trion. "Go and light the Autobot's darkest hour."_

_Then I see something else; a battle taking place in a world I vaguely recognize. I see myself battle a very powerful robot; it isn't Galvatron, nor is it a bot I recognize. But it is big, powerful, and agile and it is beating me down. I'm on my last legs when, out of nowhere, another bot arrives and beats back this one. This other bot seems familiar once more. Is it…_

"_You've witnessed the past, Rodimus Prime, and in doing so, you have caught a glimpse of a future still to come."Primus says._

"_I don't understand," I exclaim. "What did I just see? That bot; was that…?"_

"_It is time to return to the realm of the living, Rodimus Prime," Primus says. "May the past guide you in the present, so that you will be prepared for the future. It all lies with you. Til all are one!"))_

* * *

><p>"…up. Wa… imus. Wake up, Rodimus."<p>

Rodimus Prime sat up swiftly, nearly smacking his head into… Springer? "Springer! You're back online."

"Yeah, turns out Wreck-Gar had some spare energon laying around," Springer said. Arcee was also present. "Speaking of which; what you do? Short yourself out?"

"Rodimus, tell me you didn't do I think you did." Arcee said.

"Um, sorry," Rodimus said. "Kinda did."

"By Primus, Rodimus. I knew you were reckless. I didn't think you were **that **reckless," Springer said. "You might as well dive into a super nova."

Rodimus Prime slowly but surely began to stand up, getting help from Springer and Arcee. He patted Springer on the shoulder. "Good to have you back." he said light-heartedly. Then he went silent, as if something Springer had said got to him.

"Rodimus? Rodimus, are you okay?" Arcee asked.

Rodimus Prime wondered about like he had no idea where he was going. Arcee and Springer weren't sure whether or not of Rodimus was disoriented. He seemed it, which might've been the case considering he took another journey into the Matrix. He still wasn't sure if even he believed what he saw, but at the same time, he couldn't deny it either. Arcee grew increasingly concerned for Rodimus and approached him. Rodimus saw her but didn't respond to her.

"Rodimus? Rodimus, what's going on with you," she asked. "Talk to me!"

Rodimus snapped out of his trance and said, "We need to get to Cybertron, now!"

* * *

><p>Author's note: Dude, Rodimus just had a head trip. That was the general idea of this chapter, since Rodimus needed to learn more about the Transformer's origins and shared connection with the Quintessons.<p>

And, it was very brief, but the origin of Megatron was changed to imply that he was a "young and ruthless gladiator" as oppose the origin seen in the cartoon which, if you think about it, made no sense in the continuity.

At least you got to see the former Matrix bearers, which again, that was the whole point of it. So, tell me what you think. Toodles.


	14. The Wreckers Go To Work

Disclaimer: Many chapters and reviews later, "Transformers: Faces of Darkness" is still going strong. I like that and I'm sure as hell not stopping. Hell, I think I'm just warming up. Okay, that's my ego talking, so here's the next chapter of the story.

I'll skip the disclaimer, such as it was.

* * *

><p>Chapter XIV<p>

Location: Io

The Axalon was just approaching the moon of Io when Bulkhead picked up a signal. It wasn't the biggest he'd seen, but was a bit bigger than normal considering the mission. "Hey Drift, I'm getting some weird energon readings. Like really weird."

Drift and Roulette joined Bulkhead at the console and looked over the readout themselves. "These readouts can't be right." Roulette said.

"Uh, yeah! That's what I've been saying." Bulkhead deadpanned.

"Maybe Bulkhead sat on the console before takeoff." said Airazor.

"If you damaged my baby, Bulkhead, I'll jettison your fat behind here and now." Stratosphere added.

"I didn't do anything," Bulkhead defensively said. "Anyway, according to these readouts, Blur and Wheelie ought to be half a click from our current position."

"The surface is too unstable to land the ship, Drift," Roulette said. "We'll have to go in on foot and even then, we'll need to watch our step."

"We don't have a lot of options. Two Autobots are stranded down there with Primus-knows-what and a conversion cog in need of delivery," Drift ran down the situation and address the crew. "Listen up, Wreckers; this is a rescue mission first and foremost. Finding Blur and Wheelie is our top priority."

"What if they didn't make it, Drift?" Airazor asked.

Drift didn't answer right away but soon said, "If that's the case, then we focus on securing the conversion cog. Bulkhead, Depth Charge and Airazor, you three are with me. Roulette and Stratosphere, I need you two to keep the Axalon in orbit and be ready to evacuate if things go to the Pit."

Marissa stepped forward, looking up at Drift. "I'm going too. I might be able to help coordinate the rescue."

"Or you might endanger the mission," Depth Charge said. "There's no room for human error here, Fairborne."

"Depth Charge is right, Marissa," Drift added. "Io's surface isn't exactly human friendly. I won't risk your safety."

"I'm not an untrained civilian, Drift," Marissa said. "I can handle whatever Io throws my way."

"If you're going, ma'am, then so am I," said William Lennox. "Io is a pretty dangerous place at the moment, and you might need an escort."

"You sound awfully concerned, Will." Marissa said almost like she was teasing the Major.

Will stammered, "Um, just doing my job, ma'am."

Drift could only concede. "Okay," he said. "Bulkhead, you're in charge of safeguarding the humans. If anything goes wrong, you get them back on board the Axalon ASAP."

"You got it, Drift!" Bulkhead said.

The Axalon hovered just a few meters from the surface of Io, just close enough to kick dust and sulfur up from the moon. One by one, the four Wreckers disembarked; Drift went out first followed by Depth Charge. Airazor came out and hovered above the surface over Drift and Depth Charge. Bulkhead was the last as he waited for Marissa and Major Lennox to secure their space suits. Once that was done, Bulkhead took them both in his hand and disembarked onto the moon surface. Once they were clear, the Axalon moved back into space where it took a reasonable distance from the surface.

"Alright, stay alert," said Drift. "Depth Charge, you take point. We might need your shields."

"Yeah, yeah!" said Depth Charge, who pushed passed Drift and Bulkhead.

"Airazor, cover high and watch for anything hostile."

"No problem, boss bot." Airazor said.

With Depth Charge taking point and Airazor remaining airborne, the four Wreckers and their human comrades ventured onward. On the Axalon, Stratosphere and Roulette kept a watchful optic on the ground team. They were still getting strange energon readings just several clicks away from the ground team. It might've been Blur and Wheelie, or something else. Back on the surface, the Wreckers continued toward where the readings were detected last. Depth Charge had deployed his wings as his shields and held his sword in one hand. Bulkhead deployed his wrecking ball melee weapon and Drift pulled out a single katana sword and split it in two. Airazor deployed wrist-mounted arm blasters to better cover the team.

Major Lennox couldn't help but marvel at the Wreckers and wondered what type of weapons Roulette and Stratosphere had. He didn't expect them to share their advanced weapons with humans. Not Depth Charge anyway. Marissa thought something else about the Wreckers, and the Transformers race as a whole. It raised a question in her mind; if God created humans in His image, who created the Transformers? If she only knew what a certain like-minded Autobot already knew…

"Roulette, you picking up anything?" Drift asked Roulette through a comm. link.

"_Still getting the same energon readings as before," _said Roulette. _"About three clicks east of your position."_

"Stop," Depth Charge said. "Anyone else feel that?"

"I don't feel anything, probably 'cause I'm hovering." Airazor joked.

Depth Charge glared at the flyer when he heard a rumble coming from beneath the surface. Then he and the other Wreckers were caught off guard by an eruption of boiling hot sulfur. The eruption came from a geyser directly in front of the group. Bulkhead quickly moved in front of Marissa and Lennox to protect them while Depth Charge used his shields to deflect the extreme heat. Drift and Airazor, being the more nimble of the group, easily avoided the eruption. Another geyser erupted to the left of Depth Charge, which he defended against accordingly. Then another geyser, directly beneath where Airazor hovered, erupted right from under her. Airazor quickly dodged to the side, moving to and fro like she was dancing in midair. Drift knelt done on one knee and covered his face with his katana swords and then the eruptions ceased.

"What in the flaming Pit was that?" Airazor shouted.

"Nature," said Drift. "Everybody stay alert and watch where you step."

"_Drift, what's happening down there," _Stratosphere called from the Axalon. _"Our gauges are spiking up here."_

"Just experiencing some minor issues, Strat!" Drift said.

"We were almost melted by hot, volcanic ash. I wouldn't call that _minor_." Depth Charge snapped.

"Hey, I see something up ahead." Bulkhead said, pointed toward a small gathering of cloud. And laser fire.

Without a second thought, the Wreckers bolted in the direction of the cloud and laser fire. It had to be Blur and Wheelie if there was laser fire shooting upward. But what were they even shooting at? From their vantage point, the Wreckers couldn't see any Decepticons flying around. When the Wreckers reached the cloud, they saw Blur and Wheelie attempting to fight off a horde of bug-like aliens. They weren't Insecticons, thank Primus for that, but they were considerably large and ugly.

"What are those things?" Marissa shouted out. He voice drew the attention of the bugs, some of which hissing toward the group.

"You had to say it, didn't you?" Lennox said.

"Airazor, provide cover for Blur and Wheelie. Bulkhead, protect the humans," Drift said. "Depth Charge, with me. Let's take these things out."

The first three bugs to spot the Wreckers rapidly dashed toward them, shrieking an eardrum shattering scream that really had no effect on the four Autobot commandos. Razor sharp claws propelled the bugs as Depth Charge and Drift charged in for the fight. The nearest of these creatures closed in on Drift who, with his swords, began slashing at the alien with lightning fast fury. Another bug joined in the fray, and Drift managed to hold his own against the aliens. He hacked at them with skills akin to the greatest swordsmen in Earth's history, which he'd studied during his short time there. Thus, he managed to cut down one of the bugs before focusing on the next one.

Depth Charge pulled out his own sword while maintaining his shield as two other bugs came at him. One bug lunged at him, only to be blocked by Depth Charge's shield. It tried to claw at him, and Depth Charger simply and violently threw it up and over his head. The bug hit the ground with a huge thud and Depth Charge drove the blade of his sword into the bug's body. Another bug sprinted at him, but Depth Charge pulled out a heavy rifle and blew the bug apart. Then he holstered the rifle and retrieved his sword.

"Who else wants some?" he shouted.

Several more aliens joined the fray, screeching in rage. Depth Charge bellowed right back and charged. One bug broke away from the pack and went straight for Bulkhead. With his wrecking ball melee weapons, Bulkhead pounded on the alien with a straight blow. Another bug approached from the left side and took a blow. Then Bulkhead reared his arms back and threw them forward, and the momentum carried the wrecking balls through the air. They slammed into two of the bugs and then quickly retracted. Bulkhead glanced back to see if Marissa and Lennox were safe, which they were for the moment.

Airazor hovered over the remaining bugs that were attacking Blur and Wheelie and fired on them with her wrist blasters. The attack didn't do much outside of gaining the aliens' attention of her. It bought Blur and Wheelie a chance to fight back and they blasted the aliens from behind. One of the bugs made a move for the discarded and defenseless conversion cog and Airazor blasted it back, giving Wheelie a chance to grab it. Drift, Depth Charge and Bulkhead formed a small parameter around Blur and Wheelie and the humans as the bugs retreated back. They weren't leaving; just waiting to strike.

"You two okay?" Drift asked.

"Okay-what-okay-do-we-look-okay? We-got-our-ship-blasted-out-of-the-sky-by-Decepticons-and-ended-up-stranded-on-a-volcanic-world," Blur chattered. "My-sensors-aren't-built-for-this."

"Blur, shut up! You talk too much." Depth Charge said.

"Don't-judge-me-Depth-Charge-you'd-talk-too-much-if-you-were-being-assault-by-giant-bugs," Blur chattered once again. "Did-I-mention-that-I-really-really-really-hate-giant-bugs?"

"Stratosphere," Drift called through his comm. link. "Get the ship over to our current position, now!"

"_Roger that, Drift. We're on the way." _Stratosphere said.

"They'll be cutting it close, Drift." Airazor said.

"Wreckers, fall back."

More of those alien bugs began to emerge, it was now obvious, from beneath the surface of Io. There were too many to fight off, forcing the Wreckers to retreat with Blur and Wheelie. Bulkhead assumed vehicle form, which impressed Major Lennox in particular. He'd never thought he'd see a H3 Hummer in space. Bulkhead opened the passenger door, prompting Lennox and Marissa to get inside. He then deployed a machine gun on the roof and opened a hatch behind it. Lennox knew enough about military vehicles to understand the demo-expert's meaning and climbed up top. Depth Charge and Drift continued to fight off the bugs with Airazor firing from above. Lennox got to the gun and prepared to fire.

"Out of the way!" he shouted.

The Wreckers moved to either side as Lennox opened fire on the bugs. In a matter of seconds, the bugs were ripped apart by a stream of gunfire. Airazor assisted, combining her firepower with Bulkhead's. Drift, Depth Charge and Blur added to the assault. Then a booming sound was heard coming from behind them and the Axalon came into view. A side hatch opened and Roulette appeared, providing additional firepower. The bugs were beaten back further and the ground team managed to reach the ship. Bulkhead and Airazor helped get Marissa and Lennox onboard while Depth Charge and Drift beat back their attackers. But there was a problem; Wheelie had fallen behind and a bug was closing on him. He slipped and hit the ground hard, dropping the conversion cog in the process. The bug reached him and impaled him in the shoulder. His screams alerted Blur.

"Wheelie-hang-on-I'm-coming-to-save-you."

Wheelie grimaced in pain and shouted, "Forget about me, bro, just take the cog and go."

"No-Autobot-gets-left-behind." Blur said and rushed back into the fray.

Marissa and Lennox saw this. "He's running back into the danger," Marissa said. "My digital watch is smarter than that."

"I'd do the same thing for a comrade." Lennox stated.

Drift saw the cog on the ground and looked to Airazor. "Airazor, get the cog. I'm going to help Blur."

Airazor made a beeline for the cog as Drift put his swords away and broke into a sprint. He jumped and in once fluid move, transformed into vehicle form. His form of choice, a Ford Mustang GT, raced across the surface of Io at near breakneck speed toward the bugs. Blur was trying his best to fight off the bug and get to Wheelie, who'd already been badly wounded, when Drift arrived. He launched upward until he was right above them, assumed proto form, drew his swords and a dove into the fray. Quickly, he sliced and diced the bugs while Blur hoisted Wheelie over his shoulder. They began heading back for the Axalon where Roulette and Bulkhead helped get the injured Wheelie onboard. Blur was next as Drift continued to hack away at the bugs. Eventually, Drift literally threw himself onto the ship and Depth Charge pulled him in.

"Get us out of here, Stratosphere!" Drift shouted.

Stratosphere did just that, getting the ship up toward the stars and leaving the bugs behind. "We're clear, unless those things can fly."

"I kind of doubt it. Good job, Strat," Drift commended. "Everyone alright?"

"I'm good. So are Marissa and Will." Bulkhead said and checked on the humans.

"I'm still online, Drift," Airazor confirmed. "And, the cog is intact."

"Me too, for whatever it's worth." Depth Charge said.

"Drift," Roulette said. "It's Wheelie. He's not looking to good. Blur's with him."

Drift didn't like the sound that and rushed to Blur and Wheelie. Blur was kneeling beside Wheelie, and that was first time he saw the damage done. The little Autobot was bleeding energon fluid all over the deck from the two or three gaping wounds inflicted by the bugs. Tiny sparks flew from said wounds and Wheelie's optics were fading out.

"Blur, my friend, this might be the end." Wheelie said weakly.

Blur, for the first time, said to Wheelie in a slowed pace, "Don't talk, Wheelie. We'll get you fixed up."

Wheelie only smiled. "It's too late, that's for sure. Promise me you'll keep fighting, Blur."

Blur didn't know what to say except, "I promise."

"Til all are one." Wheelie said as his optics finally dimmed and he became still.

At the cockpit, Stratosphere, who'd just been joined by Bulkhead, noticed a sudden silence and asked, "Drift, what's happening back there?"

Drift was hesitant to say one word about what just happened and instead said, "Just get us to Earth, Stratosphere."

* * *

><p>Alpha Q wasn't too keen on surrendering command of the Predacons to Galvatron. It was either that or oblivion and personally, Alpha Q liked living. He also liked the planned Galvatron conjured up of attacking the Autobots on two fronts; Cybertron and Earth. While Trypticon was sent to Earth to raze Autobot City to the ground, the Decepticons and Quintessons could launch coordinated assault of Cybertron. Alpha Q had ulterior motives; once the Autobots were destroyed, the Decepticons would be next on the proverbial chopping block. It actually amused Alpha Q, how easily he was manipulating Galvatron. Clearly, he wasn't of sound cognitive ability, possibly from Unicron's influence.<p>

Alpha Q was alone at the moment, with none of his fellow Quintessons to grovel at his presence. But he knew for a time that he wasn't truly alone. "How long have you been there, Skyquake?"

Out a shadowed corner came Skyquake, his shotgun in one hand. "Long enough. It was a bold move agreeing to Galvatron's terms, if a little… pointless."

"Pointless in what way?" Alpha Q asked.

Skyquake bean to saunter around Alpha Q, not taking his optics off of him. "Galvatron might seem out of his glorified mind but he's far from stupid. He clearly expects that you'll betray him at some point."

"Really?" Alpha Q said, trying to mask his growing sense of worry. And failing.

"Yes, really," Skyquake said as he pressed the barrel of his gun to Alpha Q's forehead. "When that happens, Galvatron won't hesitate to feed you to your own Predacons. Tragic irony, I think. Or…" Skyquake paused to let it sink in before going on. "I could kill you myself right here, right now and rob Galvatron of the opportunity and then kill Galvatron and every single Autobot that still functions. What do you think of that?"

"I think…" Alpha Q said. "…that you have your own agenda against Galvatron."

"Too bad you won't live to see it." Skyquake and prepared to pull the trigger on his gun.

"I know what you desire most, Skyquake; you seek to become the Decepticon's new leader," Alpha Q stated. "I can help you in achieving that goal."

Skyquake glared at Alpha Q with his shotgun cocked and loaded. One pull of the trigger and Alpha Q's insides would be splattered all over the deck of his ship. It'd be quick and painless. But Alpha Q had a point; Skyquake did want command of the Decepticons. He wasn't the first would-be usurper; Starscream tried the same with Megatron and failed miserably each time partly because he was an idiot. Plus, he feared Megatron greatly. Skyquake wasn't Starscream; he wasn't an idiot and he feared nothing. He didn't fear Galvatron and he sure as the Pit didn't fear Alpha Q. Maybe the sickening little alien, though, could be of some help. Skyquake ultimately pulled his shotgun away.

"Explain." he said.

Alpha Q straightened himself and began to speak. "It is no secret to me that you desire leadership of the Decepticons. Even Galvatron knows this better than anyone. For that reason, he's keeping you under close observation."

"So what?" Skyquake said.

"I can give you the means to overthrow Galvatron and take your rightful place as leader of the Decepticons." Alpha Q said.

Skyquake could tell Alpha Q was lying but he played along. "What could you possibly offer me that I can't simply take?"

Alpha Q needed to be cautious with Skyquake right now. "There is is a long forgotten relic, left behind in the wake of the ancient battle between Unicron and Primus."

"I'm not interested in a history lesson, alien." Skyquake said.

"But you'd be wise to consider this point; all things in the universe require balance," Alpha Q stated, and Skyquake wasn't sure what he was getting at. "For all that is good, there must always be evil. Light cannot exist without darkness, nor life without death."

Skyquake slammed his fist into the wall behind Alpha Q. "Enough with your philosophical ramblings."

Alpha Q was nonplussed and continued, "You know of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. Have you ever wondered if a similar relic existed, one solely for the Decepticons? A Matrix of Conquest, if you will," Alpha Q let it sink in before going on. "Such a relic could tip the conflict in favor of the Decepticons, don't you agree, Skyquake?"

"A Matrix of Conquest," Skyquake said, laughing. "Such a thing doesn't exist."

"Are you willing to take that chance?"

Skyquake edged close to Alpha Q's face, optics glowing and gun barrel to the alien's chin. "If you're lying, I'll skin you alive before Galvatron gets the opportunity."

Skyquake remained fixed to be absolutely certain that Alpha Q got the message before taking his leave. By now, Galvatron was wondering where he'd gone. Like it mattered. When Skyquake departed, Alpha Q righted himself and smirked. Everything was falling into place, and better than he anticipated. Skyquake clearly didn't trust him. That was fine, because Galvatron didn't trust Skyquake. That enmity between them had them playing right into Alpha Q's tentacles.

But Alpha Q made a critical mistake by not noticing the gleam of metal in the shadows. Laserbeak had been observing the exchange after Galvatron had him deployed by Soundwave to keep tabs on Skyquake. Hence, Skyquake was right; Galvatron was no fool despite being a psychopath. He'd be very interested in what the spy bird had recorded. Galvatron would no doubt find it very, very interesting.

* * *

><p>Author's note: That's that for this chapter, in which the Wreckers finally see some action. There's more to come, so keep reading.<p>

Just to clarify, Wheelie is dead. I was going to kill him off earlier in the story but I let him live up to now. Didn't like him anyway, and anyone who did; I'm sorry.

And the alien bugs, yeah; I went all Starship Troopers there. I thought that would be better than space bats. We've all seen Starship Troopers.

Last but not least, I wonder what Skyquake is planning with Alpha Q? Hmm. Would you like to know more? Then read and review. DO YOU GET ME?


	15. The Dark Side Of Ambition

Disclaimer: Man, I'm glad SOPA didn't get in my way. Anyway, I bring another chapter to the story, and this one's a doozy. I don't own the rights to Transformers, like it matters.

* * *

><p>Chapter XV<p>

Skyquake sauntered through the darkened halls of the Quintesson vessel, his conversation with Alpha Q still fresh in his mind. He fully suspected the alien of lying about some fabled Decepticon Matrix of Conquest. But, what if he wasn't lying? What if this relic existed? If it did, would it tip the scales against the Autobots? What about Galvatron? If the Matrix of Conquest was real, and Skyquake was in possession of it, would Galvatron still be an obstacle in his quest for leadership of the Decepticons? Maybe. Galvatron was obviously insane but still a threat no matter how anyone looked at it. Skyquake might've taken all of those scenarios very seriously.

Deep in thought as he was right now, Skyquake suddenly stopped in his tracks. Across from him, half hidden in the shadows, stood Galvatron. His upper body was obscured in the darkness, but Skyquake could easily make out the glowing crimson in his optics. Galvatron had his sword held out, the dim light gleaming off the blade.

"Something troubling you, Galvatron?" Skyquake said.

"Where were you, Skyquake," Galvatron asked. "You were supposed to be on your way to Earth with Trypticon and the combiner teams."

Skyquake crossed his arms and said, "I guess I missed my ride. I was busy retrofitting my weapons. Why?"

Another set of glowing optics glowed in the darkness to the left of Galvatron. It was Laserbeak, Skyquake assumed, perched on his master's arm. The spy bird's optics began emitting an image, like a hologram. The image showed Skyquake and Alpha Q's discussion from Laserbeak's perspective. Clever, but expected, thought Skyquake. The image began to play with Galvatron and Skyquake paying special attention to the audio, particularly of Alpha Q's talk of the Matrix of Conquest. But Galvatron was more interested in Skyquake's claim of eliminating him and taking over.

"I see you've been keeping tabs on me, Galvatron." said Skyquake.

"Indeed," Galvatron stepped forward into the dim light, his optics still glowing. "Matrix of Conquest, hmm," he said. "Sounds interesting, if it turns out to be accurate. But on to the other, more pressing issue…"

Skyquake already knew where things were going and said, "Which is?"

Galvatron didn't speak. He raised his sword and charged at Skyquake. Skyquake took two steps back, brought his left arm up and blocked Galvatron's opening attack. He wrapped his arm around the sword, knocking out of Galvatron's hand and then tackled Galvatron into the wall. Galvatron pushed back, striking Skyquake in the face with his elbow and then kicking him back. Skyquake went for a wide punch that Galvatron ducked under and tackled Skyquake into the adjacent wall. Skyquake drove his knee into Galvatron's chassis and threw him down to the floor before trying to pounce. Galvatron got his feet up and flipped Skyquake over him to the floor before standing up. Skyquake spun around and tripped Galvatron before standing up and deploying his shotgun.

Before he could take a shot, Galvatron low kicked him and aimed his cannon. Skyquake was up and aimed his shotgun. They reached a stalemate, neither one of them taking their optics off the other. The other Decepticons, Cyclonus, Scourge and Fracture, arrived at the scene to witness the commotion. Soundwave, Barricade and Blitzwing joined soon after followed by Sixshot. Laserbeak soon returned to Soundwave. Galvatron and Skyquake hadn't made a move.

"What is the Pit is going on here?" Fracture asked.

"I don't know, but it's got to be fun." Barricade quipped.

"SHUT UP!" bellowed both Galvatron and Skyquake.

"Yes, sirs!" Barricade very weakly said and hid behind Sixshot.

"Wuss." said Sixshot.

"You thought you could get away with allying yourself with that disgusting creature? Kill me and take over the Decepticons." Galvatron said to Skyquake.

"I must've been tipping things in the Decepticons' favor." Skyquake said.

"I'll give you credit, Skyquake; you're a talented liar," Galvatron raised his cannon and added, "But I'm bringing an end to your treachery, here and now. Then I'll take my time with Alpha Q."

Just then, Blitzwing stepped forward between Galvatron and Skyquake. "You've got to stop this." he said.

"Out of the way, Blitzwing." said Galvatron.

"Don't either of you get it," Blitzwing said, refusing to move. "It's Alpha Q; he's trying to turn us against each other."

"Like we need the motivation," Skyquake quipped. "Make no mistake, Galvatron; when the Autobots are destroyed and Cybertron is under Decepticon control, I will personally deal with Alpha Q," Skyquake finally holstered his gun and turned his back to Galvatron. "After that, it'll be just you and me, and we'll see who takes possession of the Matrix of Conquest should it exist."

Skyquake stormed off even as Galvatron kept him in his sights while Cyclonus approached him cautiously. "Skyquake will be the doom of all of us." Cyclonus said.

"You think?" Galvatron snapped.

"What was he talking about," Scourge asked. "What Matrix of Conquest?"

"Something that might destroy the Autobots for good, if it's real," Galvatron said. "But we'll deal with that later, after we've destroyed Rodimus Prime and the other Autobot fools."

"Hey," said Sixshot called out. He was looking around for something. "Anybody seen Quickswitch?"

* * *

><p>The Junkion cruiser rocketed through space on route to Cybertron. On board, Wreck-Gar, Trashbin and Scrapheap were at the helm with Kup and Springer navigating. The rest of the Autobots, plus Grimlock, Blackarachnia and Spike, remained generally quiet for the most part. But Rodimus Prime wasn't relaxed. He was tense, restless, after everything that had gone down since the Galactic Olympics. He paced around the deck of the ship while so deep in thought that the sound of creaking steel was an afterthought. It made certain members of the crew, Ultra Magnus, Elita One and Arcee in particular, very concerned for the young leader.<p>

"Better be careful," said Blackarachnia, getting Rodimus Prime's attention for a brief moment. "At this rate, you'll dig up your very own ditch."

Rodimus simply ignored her and kept going. Elita One on the other hand stared at her former friend. "I wouldn't say another word, Blackarachnia. You haven't see Rodimus when he's angry. I have."

"Ooh, I'm so scared." Blackarachnia mocked.

"You should be. Look at who's sitting right next to you," Elita indicated Grimlock, who was in fact sitting in proto form right beside Blackarachnia. He silently growled at her.

Blackarachnia simply smirked and looked to Elita. "Charming!" she said.

"Magnus, Rodimus," Springer said, drawing Magnus and Rodimus close. "I'm picking up an energon signature a few clicks behind us, moving fast."

"Whatever it is, it's been shadowing us since will left the Junk Planet." Kup added.

"Can you get a visual, Kup?" Rodimus asked.

Kup worked out the controls for the visual feed, causing static to appear on the video screen. There on screen was a lone space craft, but it was too small to make out clearly. Springer hit a switch that magnified the visual. The screen zoomed in on the craft and everyone tensed. It was Quickswitch in one of his alt forms, having apparently been in pursuit of the Autobots for some time. He rocketed passed the cruiser at breakneck speed, during which Ultra Magnus and Arcee manned the main guns. Then when he was right in front of the cruiser, he assumed proto form and hovered there. The cruiser was suddenly jolted to a stop and knocked some of the Autobots for a loop.

Springer shook his head and said to Trashbin, "Mind not doing the again?"

Trashbin simply bellowed, "DEE DEE DEE!"

Scrapheap added, "Here's your sign!"

Outside of the cruiser, Quickswitch said, "My name is Quickswitch, and I seek an audience with the leader of the Autobots."

Back in the cruiser, Ultra Magnus said to Rodimus Prime, "That's a first; a Decepticon seeking an audience with the leader of the Autobots."

"Optimus never had this happen to him?" Rodimus wondered aloud.

"Not to my knowledge." said Ultra Magnus.

That last comment didn't fill Rodimus Prime with much confidence, something of which he'd been lacking a bit. Since he opened the Matrix and destroyed Unicron, taking his place as leader of the Autobots, Rodimus Prime half hoped things would be easier. But even since the Quintessons surfaced and Galvatron returned, his confidence started taking a nosedive. Who knew the real reason of why Quickswitch appeared. But Rodimus Prime had a feeling, much like he did before he even touched the Matrix, that Quickswitch was here for a reason. He just hoped it wasn't a hostile one.

"Open the side hatch." he said.

"What?" said Springer.

"Rodimus, are you insane," Arcee said. "That's one of the 'Cons that nearly killed you and you want to let him into the ship?"

"I'm not so sure he _is_ a 'Con, Arcee. Look at him," Rodimus said, pointing at screen. "He's got enough firepower to blow us out of the sky, but he weapons aren't even deployed."

"Maybe he's trying to trick us so he can kill us up close. You ever think about that?" Springer said.

"I did, but I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt." Rodimus Prime said.

Elita One stood up and approached Rodimus. She said, "I'm with Rodimus on this one. Think about it; why would a lone Decepticon follow us this far into space without shooting?"

"You think he won't if we let him in, Elita?" Kup asked.

"I'm not sure of anything, Kup. But I trust Rodimus' judgment." Elita said when she looked to Rodimus.

Ultra Magnus stepped forward and said, "I don't like it much, Rodimus. But it's your call."

Rodimus felt relieved to at least have Elita One and Ultra Magnus on his side. "Let him in."

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Springer muttered and started operating the console.

Rodimus agreed with Springer in part as the side hatch began to open. Outside of the cruiser, Quickswitch was still waiting like a statue on small pillars of flame. It made the Autobots, especially Rodimus Prime, nervous and wary of the Six-Changer. If Quickswitch was in fact tricking them into letting him on board just so he could kill them, it was all so he could maybe gain favor from Galvatron. Or the close quarters could work against him. There was barely enough room for Grimlock to stand in T-Rex, hence why he was in proto form. Quickswitch was a hulk with six different modes, and in such close quarters, those modes counted for nothing. Even so, Quickswitch had enough firepower in robot mode alone to level a city block on Earth.

The moment of truth came once the side hatch was fully lowered. Quickswitch was cautious to approach the hatch, not even deploying his weapons as he went. He wouldn't blame the Autobots if they had their weapons deployed. Sure enough, as soon as he stepped foot into the cruiser, the Autobots were all armed and ready for anything. The hatch closed behind Quickswitch, who made no move to escape. He put his hands up defensively to show he wasn't going to attack. Still, the Autobots weren't taking any chances as Rodimus Prime stepped forward. Quickswitch noted that Rodimus was the only Autobot not armed. Rodimus noted the size difference between him and the Six-Changer and even remembered their last encounter on Charr. Good times, he thought. Quickswitch thought otherwise.

"You're a lot bigger up close." Rodimus said.

"So I heard," Quickswitch said, looking around at the other Autobots who had him in their sights. "I can't blame your troops for not trusting me, but I didn't come all this way to fight. It'd be a losing battle."

"For whom exactly?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"All of us."

"So, what do you want? "Arcee asked.

Quickswitch looked down at Rodimus Prime, studied him, and said, "I'm here to make a request of you, Rodimus Prime."

"What request?" Rodimus Prime asked.

Quickswitch looked around at the crew, then to Rodimus Prime. He said, "I want to defect to the Autobots."

The Autobots were all taken completely by surprise, except for Rodimus Prime. Maybe he expected this; Quickswitch wanting to join the Autobots. This wasn't exactly the first time a 'Con defected to the Autobots. Tempest had done it in the past, but only because Breakaway vouched for her. Quickswitch was doing so of his own accord but the question remained; Why? Rodimus Prime put his hand up, silently commanding the other Autobots to lower their weapons. Quickswitch in turn lowered his arms.

"That's a pretty interesting request, Quickswitch. But how do I know it isn't a Decepticon trick?" Rodimus asked.

"Exactly," Kup said. "For all we know, Galvatron is waiting in the wings to ambush us."

"I wouldn't count on it," Quickswitch said. "Galvatron and Skyquake are both jockeying for Decepticon leadership. As for Alpha Q, well, I don't trust him. It's for those reasons that I've decided to defect."

Rodimus turned to Ultra Magnus and said, "Think I should tell him?"

"I'm still not able to believe it, but go ahead." said Ultra Magnus.

"Tell me what?" Quickswitch wondered.

"Alpha Q, as you might've guessed, is the leader of the Quintessons," Rodimus Prime said. "The Quintessons are our creators."

Quickswitch was only mildly stunned. "I see."

"You don't sound surprised." said a suspicious Springer.

"I don't have that luxury, but I did have my suspicions," Quickswitch said. "Alpha Q convinced Galvatron to join forces in order to take Cybertron, but I knew he was after something else."

"What's Alpha Q after exactly? Does it have anything to do with us?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"He claimed to only want asylum on Cybertron in return for helping Galvatron." Quickswitch said.

_Of course_, thought Rodimus Prime. "It all makes sense now. You see, Quickswitch, Cybertron was sort of a factory for the Quintessons. They used it to create two distinct versions of robots; consumer goods and military warfare. They eventually rebelled against the Quintessons and drove them off Cybertron before becoming known as Autobots and Decepticons. Then the wars started and, well, you all know the rest."

"And how do you know this?" Quickswitch asked.

"I saw it when I ventured into the Matrix," Rodimus said. "Primus showed me everything, including the bots that held the Matrix before me."

"Interesting. You actually spoke to Primus," Quickswitch said. "Maybe I made the right call in defecting."

"Maybe," Rodimus Prime said. "Okay, you can join us, Quickswitch. But we're going to be watching you. Don't make me regret it."

"I don't begrudge your mistrust in me, Rodimus, nor will I ask for it," Quickswitch said. "I'll have to earn it. There's something else you should know; Alpha Q suggest attacking on two fronts; Cybertron and Earth. To that end, Galvatron sent Trypticon to Earth to destroy you city there."

"Wait; did you say Trypticon?" Ultra Magnus asked. Quickswitch nodded. "That monster hadn't been seen for millennia. He single handedly leveled entire cities and would leveled Iacon too if Optimus hadn't stopped him."

"There's no way we can get to Earth in time to stop Trypticon. It's impossible." Arcee said.

"I know," Rodimus Prime said, as much he hated himself for saying it. ""We'll have to hope that Blur and Wheelie can get the conversion to Earth in time. They've got to."

* * *

><p>Walking alone in the darkened halls of Alpha Q's ship, Scourge couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. It'd been as such for some time, since after he and Cyclonus had recovered Galvatron from Thrall. Scourge thought more than once that he'd heard very faint laughter, though the first he dismissed it as his audio receiver glitching. Then he started seen things; strange, almost ghostly apparitions where there should've been nothing at all. Cyclonus told Scourge he was crazy and should've been focused on figuring out ways to defeat the Autobots. Scourge said he had been, but he couldn't shake off the notion of being stalked by a ghost. A ghost; ridiculous superstitions conjured up by humans.<p>

Scourge came to a dead stop. He heard it again, the faint laughter, in the shadows. Nothing of note, he thought. Scourge didn't same the faint shimmer slipping behind him. It wasn't there anymore when he turned. Scourge briefly considered the possibility of that idiot Barricade playing tricks on him. The thought was quickly dismissed when the laughter returned, louder this time. Scourge had to be going crazy if he was hearing laughter that, to his shock, sounded very familiar. Deploying his gun, Scourge took a defensive stance and aimed at the darkness.

"Somebody there?" he said.

A faint, raspy voice whispered, "_Somebody?_"

Scourge tensed up big time. "Who said that?"

"_Don't play the innocent with me,_" the voice whispered but felt so close that Scourge turned around. Nothing was there. "_You know who I used to be… Thundercracker. Or is it Scourge now?_"

Scourge's optics pulsed a bright crimson. "Starscream? But you're dead."

The shimmer began to take form right in front of Scourge until it took the shape of the deceased former Air Commander Starscream, colorless and with a sick smirk on his face. "_Is that what they say,_" he said. "_I'd say reports of my demise were greatly exaggerated, but as you can see…_"

Scourge was backing up until he hit the wall. "What… what do you want?"

"_Want do I want? Good question. There're several things I might want now that I'm, let's call it __**immortal**__,_" Starscream, or his ghost at least, sauntered about like nothing happened. He looked around everything around him before setting his sights on Scourge. "_A new body, or my old one perhaps,_" Starscream leveled his face to Scourge's and continued. "_Or maybe, just maybe, something as simple as good old fashioned revenge, particularly against the one who made me… this._"

"You mean Galvatron?" Scourge said.

"_No, I mean Bruticus. OF COURSE GALVATRON,_" Starscream shouted loud enough to shake the hall. "_IT'S HIS FAULT I ENDED UP LIKE THIS, A SPARK WITHOUT A PHYSICAL FORM._"

"As I recall, Galvatron eliminated you after you, once again, tried to usurp power from him," Scourge said. "You brought it all on yourself, Starscream. Can't say I'm surprised."

Starscream roared and threw a punch, only for it to pass right through Scourge. Scourge still threw his arms up, cowering. Starscream only chuckled. "_Scared you, didn't I? Don't worry; I wouldn't kill you if I wanted to. In fact, I've thought of a better use for you._"

"No. NO!" Scourge threw his arms up as Starscream began laughing like mad.

"What are you doing?"

Scourge slowly and cautiously lowered his arms, half expecting Starscream's ghost to do something unfathomable. Nothing happened, and all Scourge saw now was Cyclonus standing over him. The saboteur glared at the Sweep with a display of curiosity that was uncharacteristic of him. Scourge then deployed his gun, aiming it at Cyclonus. In response, Cyclonus unleashed his duel edged swords and had the tips at Scourge's neck. Scourge knew he was beaten and put his gun away, just as Cyclonus put away his swords.

"Did… did you see him, Cyclonus," said Scourge. "Where is he?"

"Where is whom?" Cyclonus asked.

Scourge pulled himself upright. "Starscream. I saw Starscream. He's dead, only he's not _dead_."

"What are you talking about," Cyclonus said. "Starscream was obliterated by Galvatron long ago. The only possibly to see him is…"

"If he'd become a ghost." Scourge finished, sounding immensely frantic.

Cyclonus wasn't sure if Scourge had a glitch or if he was being ridiculous. "You idiot; Transformers don't become ghosts when they die."

"I know what I saw, Cyclonus," Scourge shouted, his voice echoing through the halls. "Starscream has returned from Gunmetal Grave to exact revenge on Galvatron. We must warn him. We must…"

"ENOUGH," Cyclonus bellowed. "I'd expect this kind behavior from Barricade, but not you."

"But…"

"You're a Decepticon warrior sworn to obey Galvatron," Cyclonus continued. "I strongly suggest you act like it, lest you up in Gunmetal Grave along with what's left of Starscream."

Scourge said nothing now that Cyclonus basically laid down the law. With nothing left to say, Cyclonus began to take his leave, leaving Scourge leaning on the wall. He began to wonder if he'd really seen Starscream right in front of him. Shaking his head, Scourge decided he hadn't. It was the Quintesson ship playing tricks on him, he reasoned. Besides, Cyclonus was right; Transformers don't become ghostly apparition after death. But what if Starscream was different, that one lone exception to the laws of life and death? He was a scientist once. Maybe he found a way to mutate his Spark, make it indestructible.

Scourge squashed that theory. Maybe it was the ship playing tricks on him. He decided to heed Cyclonus' words; he was to obey Galvatron at any cost, like it or not. Scourge was about to follow Cyclonus when, to his shock, Starscream appeared right behind Cyclonus as he was leaving. The ghostly apparition looked at the dumbfounded Sweep, smirking the whole time, and then vanished. Cyclonus turned around to see Scourge quite literally frozen in place. Starscream wasn't there anymore.

"Scourge!" he said.

Scourge woke up and said, "Yes, I'm coming!" And Scourge walked off with Cyclonus.

Out of the shadows, Starscream appeared again. As ever, he was scheming his next move. The next move would be one that Galvatron won't see coming, not until it was too late. Starscream would have his revenge; on Galvatron, the Autobots and one anyone who ever dared cross him. After all, he was immortal.

* * *

><p>Author's note: Told you this was a doozy! So much going on, much of it unexpected. Go ahead and leave a review or two or three or four. You know you want to.<p> 


	16. Death From Above

Disclaimer: What's this? No reviews? Again? That's not cool especially when I brought Starscream back from the dead. Sort of! I still don't own nothing from Transformers; I'm just saying!

* * *

><p>Chapter XVI<p>

Location: Sol System

Though it was still miles away from Earth, the Axalon was bound to get there soon enough with the conversion cog. The interior of the ship was unusually quiet. No one said a word since Wheelie died, Blur least of all. The usually chatting data courier was holding the conversion cog like it was the most precious thing in the universe. It was classified _precious cargo_, so it was understandable. None of the Wreckers said anything, instead busying themselves with random tasks while they waited to return to Earth. Marissa and Lennox were doing too much aside from conversing to themselves, mainly about the cog and Blur's state of mind.

"Is that what all this trouble is about," Lennox said to Marissa regarding the cog. "Not to be crude but it doesn't look like much."

"Will, show some respect, okay," Marissa said. "A very young Autobot died to protect that cog. The least we can do is get it to Earth and make this trip worth it."

Lennox felt foolish now. He walked up to Blur when the Autobot caught sight of him. "Blur, I'm sorry about Wheelie. It's not easy, you know, losing a friend. I've been there." Lennox waited but Blur said nothing, so Lennox let him be.

"Whoa," said Bulkhead. "Hey Drift, I'm picking up some weird readings here; really weird, as in off the charts."

Drift came over to Bulkhead to look at the radar. It appeared to be blind. "This can't be right. It's got to be a malfunction in the radar system."

"It's not," said Roulette. "I'm picking a huge energon signature and whatever it is, it's closing on us fast."

"Get it on the view screen." said Drift.

The view screen cut to an image of a ship, massive in both width and length. It appeared to be most black and purple with hints of silver. Based on the size, it was clearly larger than the Axalon. Stratosphere, an avid ship engineer and pilot, knew right away it wasn't a Nemesis-class warship. The fears of the Axalon crew were then violently verified when the ship prepared to fire on the Axalon. The Axalon banked right to avoid the initial attack, a single violet laser strike, before yawing left to avoid a second salvo. The warship seemed to anticipate this and matched the smaller ship's flight path, staying on top of it. It fired again, this time striking a glancing blow to the right side of the Axalon. The Axalon was rocked, it crew thrown down to the deck as the ship shuddered violently.

"We're hit." Stratosphere announced.

"No kidding!" Depth Charge shouted.

"Depth Charge, return fire," Drift said. "Roulette, give me a damage report."

Depth Charge rushed to the weapons control console and quickly started firing on the warship with a series of missile strikes to the warship underside. The warship seemed to shudder but remained fixed on the much smaller vessel and fired another laser attack. The shot missed as the Axalon banked further left and the warship stayed on it and fired again. The Axalon banked right but still took another glancing blow, and smoke began to pour from the strike point. It continued to fire back with missile strikes that only barely slowed the warship down. The warship fired again and this time struck a heavy blow to the rear of Axalon. Smoke and fire began billowing from the damaged section as the Axalon began yawing down.

"Roulette, talk to me." Drift shouted.

"Attitude controls are offline. We're leaking fuel." Roulette said.

"Thrusters are gone. I'm rerouting auxiliary power to main shielding." Stratosphere said.

"Drift, we're being hailed by the enemy ship." Roulette announced.

Deep, frightening laughter was heard coming from the warship. _"Puny Autobots. Did you really believe your small vessel was a match for me?"_

Drift stepped forward and demanded, "Who are you? Why did you attack my ship," When no answer came from the warship, Drift said, "Answer me."

"_FOOL! The mighty Trypticon answers to none but Lord Galvatron,"_ the warship, which happened to be Trypticon himself, prepared to open fire on the Axalon. _"Now die, Autobots."_

"Damn it! Evasive maneuvers." Drift said.

The Axalon, already badly damaged and on fire around the hull, continued banking and yawing to and fro with Trypticon matching its movement. Trypticon fired at the Axalon, some of his laser attacks missing, and others landing glancing blows on the smaller ship. The Axalon still had weapons and attacked Trypticon with a combination of missiles and lasers. The attacks did little to slow Trypticon down and he returned fire. This time the attack caught the Axalon dead, igniting the fuel that had been leaking out of the engines. Inside, the crew was rocked and thrown about like ragdolls. Stratosphere was still at the helm trying to maintain control of the ship.

Trypticon continued shooting, ripping bits from the Axalon as the two ships approached the Moon. Eventually, Trypticon broke off his assault and started heading for Earth, leaving the Axalon crippled and drifting toward the Moon on fire. Pieces of the ship came loose and drifted away from the Axalon as it came close to hitting the Moon. Eventually, the Axalon slammed into the Moon's surface, with more pieces dislodging from the ship as it skidded to a stop. Amid the fires burning in low gravity of Earth's lone satellite, a die cast iron section of the destroyed hull was blasted away. Bulkhead literally clawed his way out of the wreckage and underneath his frame, the two humans climbed out, thankfully in full space gear. Lennox reach down to pull Marissa up and out, and their momentum sent then tumbling onto each other.

In a very awkward moment, Marissa had landed right on top of Lennox. "Well," Lennox said. "Any landing you can walk away from…"

Marissa quickly stood up. "…is a good landing," She finished and turned to Bulkhead. "Bulkhead, you okay?"

Bulkhead shook his head and said, "I'll get back to you on that. Where're the others?"

As if on cue, another hull section was blown off and Depth Charge lumbered his way out, followed closely by Airazor. Roulette climbed out of the wreckage next followed by Blur, who still held the conversion cog by to his chassis. It was a miracle they survive when they locked themselves in the ship's cargo bay. But as they gathered themselves, Roulette noticed that Drift and Stratosphere were not present among them.

"Drift, Stratosphere," Roulette called out into the wreckage. "Where are you? Say something," No answer came amid steel scraping on steel. "C'mon, damn it, answer me."

Just then, Stratosphere dug his way out while Airazor and Depth Charge helped him out. He looked back and was completely shocked at the sight of the Axalon in ruins. "No, no, no, no, NO! Not my baby. It'll take stellar-cycles to get her airborne again."

"C'mon, Strat! It's not that bad." Depth Charge, of all bots, said surprisingly lightheartedly.

"Not that bad? Are you insane, Depth Charge," Stratosphere shouted. "I poured my Spark and energon into this ship."

"It's just a ship, Strat. You're smart; you can build another one." Depth Charge pointedly said.

"Says you, fish stick!" Stratosphere snapped.

"Shut up," Roulette said. "Where's Drift?"

The realization that Drift wasn't among the survivors quelled the argument between Stratosphere and Depth Charge. They looked at the wreckage, pieces collapsing onto each other. Frantic, Roulette started digging her way into the wreckage, tossing pieces aside. Airazor, Bulkhead and Blur joined in the effort and were soon followed by Stratosphere and Depth Charge. Marissa and Lennox did their part, though it wasn't as efficient as their Autobot comrades.

The Wreckers, Blur and the humans dug into the Axalon wreck for what felt like stellar-cycles and seemed to be making little progress. Pieces of debris kept falling on top of each other and eventually, the crew recognized it was all for naught. One by one, they abandoned their efforts until only Roulette remained. She wouldn't stop, obsessively digging through the debris in the hope she would find some sign that Drift was alive. It wasn't until Stratosphere put his hand on Roulette's shoulder that she stopped. She looked at him, a pained look in her optics.

"It's okay, Roulette." he said to her.

Roulette hung her head, resigned to the brutal truth that Drift couldn't be saved. No one else said anything that could possibly quell the despondence Roulette was feeling. Then something happened that no expected; the debris appeared to be expanding outward. Bit of steel scraped against each other, creating a shrill screeching sound. Then came the faint sounds of grunting from under the debris. Roulette backed off as the debris came forth, being pushed out from below by force. Eventually and with great effort, Drift dug himself out by literally tossed the stray debris off of him. He sank to his knees from the effort but appeared mostly intact with only minor dents. Relief washed over the rest of crew when Drift looked at them.

"Everyone okay?" he finally asked.

Roulette laughed hysterically and said, "Yeah, everybody's accounted for, including you."

"Huh?"

"We thought you were offline, Drift." Airazor stated.

Drift stood up, slightly off balance. "Sorry to disappoint." He quipped.

"In case none of you noticed, the ship's totaled," Bulkhead said. "How in the Pit are we going to get to Earth? And what was that ship that attacked us?"

"Trypticon," said Depth Charge. "I've read stories back when I was Iacon Law Enforcement with Prowl. Never believed them, not until now."

"Um, History lesson aside," Marissa said, much to Depth Charge's annoyance. "Does any have a plan of how we'll get to Earth? I mean, it's not we can fix the ship with a pump and some duct tape."

"Wait," Lennox said. I'm getting a transmission from our EDC Outposts."

"_We are under attack... Decepti… ing heavy casualties… icons came out of nowhere. We nee…"_

"I can see them," Stratosphere said. "Over there." He pointed.

Sure enough, the Wreckers saw a series of small explosions in the outer atmosphere near Earth. The Outposts appeared to be under attack, not by Trypticon, but by several smaller bots. Three groups of them; the Constructicons, and the Stunticons, all rejuvenated and on the attacks. They zipped around the Outposts while taking potshots from varying angles. A squadron of small, human space jets entered the fray but didn't fare well at first. As the Wreckers were forced to watch, the Combaticons suddenly appeared and surprised them, causing them to scatter. Blur took Marissa and Lennox back near the Axalon wreck when the Combaticons landed.

"Look at this, Vortex; a bunch a' Autobots stuck in the middle a' nowhere," quipped Swindle to Vortex. "Maybe we ought to give 'em a lift, huh?"

"I'll give them a lift all right; into the sun." Vortex said.

"Nah," said Brawl. "Let's just pound 'em and use 'em for spare parts." Then Brawl was blasted off his feet by Depth Charge.

"I'd like to see you try, 'Con."

Blast Off and Onslaught observed the Wrecker as Vortex and Swindle tended to Brawl. "This one has some fight in him, Onslaught. He might make an excellent soldier in our cause."

"I believe you are correct, Blast Off," Onslaught agreed. "A shame that we have to eliminate them."

A salvo struck the Moon soil in front of Onslaught's feet, fired by a very angry Stratosphere. Then Bulkhead and Roulette charged with both long range and melee weapons deployed. Roulette, blaster in hand, took the fight right to Swindle while Bulkhead, with his maces, slammed into Brawl. Vortex assumed alt form and airborne with the intention of snatching one of the Wreckers in his trademark whirlwind. But he didn't account for the fact that there was no wind in space. Even worse was when Airazor took off without assuming alt form since she was most nimble in proto form. She easily flew circles around Vortex, taking potshots on him. Conversely, Airazor didn't count on the more space worthy Blast Off when he assumed shuttle mode.

All of this left Onslaught to deal with Depth Charge and Drift, the latter unsheathing his duel katana swords and going on the offensive. Depth Charge deployed his sword and wing shields while at the same time, Onslaught produced his sonic stun gun and went on the defensive. He fired on Depth Charge, who locked the shots while Drift leaping over him with his swords extended. He swung them in a vertical arc that Onslaught dodged, and then Onslaught fired on Drift. Drift dodged the shots, going side to side with impressive agility and giving Depth Charge a chance to charge of strike with his shield. The blow sent Onslaught down but not out.

Stratosphere, still angered over the loss of the Axalon, and Bulkhead took the fight to Brawl as they collectively blasted and pounded him. Brawl took their assault and fought back, using his back mounted cannon to try and blow them apart. Stratosphere took the blast to his left shoulder, and he used the momentum to blast Brawl. Then Bulkhead rushed in and hammered Brawl down to the ground, and he was followed by Swindle being waylaid by Roulette. Brawl threw Swindle off of him and right back into the fight, where Roulette was waiting.

Swindle charged awkwardly at Roulette, who simply danced around him while scoring varying blows all over him. Try as he might, Swindle couldn't match Roulette fighting skills. Meanwhile, Airazor used her near unmatchable speed and agility to keep Blast Off and Vortex off balance and on defense, and then peppered them with shots from her wrist blasters. Unable to lock on to her, Blast Off and Vortex slammed into each other in midair and crashed in the Moon soil. The Combaticons regrouped, during which Onslaught grew enraged at how the Wreckers dominated them so easily.

Depth Charge then said, "That all you got?"

Onslaught grew angrier by the moment and shouted, "Combaticons: unite!"

The familiar sound of shifting steel came as the Combaticons began to merge into their combined formed. No sooner than moment, the Wreckers were face to face with the lumbering, rudimentary minded but powerful Bruticus. He towered over the six commando Autobots, snarling at them and stomping toward them. Even Stratosphere, who was the largest Wrecker, was dwarfed by Bruticus. But it was Depth Charge who stepped forward, sword and shield in hand as he looked up at Bruticus.

"You don't look so tough." he said.

Bruticus responded the only way he knew how; by attempting to stomp on the Wrecker. Depth Charge had rolled to the side, leaving Bruticus open to attack by the other Wreckers. Airazor peppered Bruticus with a barrage of blaster shots while dodging a wild swipe of the gestalt's arm. She assumed alt form and fired a pair of sidewinder missiles, striking Bruticus in the chassis. Bulkhead and Roulette opened fire on his legs while Stratosphere took to the air. He charged but was quickly caught in Bruticus' grasp and quickly tossed back. Stratosphere managed to right himself and assumed his alternate form of an Antonov An-225cargo jet. He streaked right at Bruticus, deploying a set of guns on his hull and opened fire on the gestalt. While Bruticus was distracted, Bulkhead and Drift prepared to strike. Bulkhead grabbed Drift and in one swift move, lobbed him right at Bruticus.

Drift had his swords pointed straight out and drove them right into Bruticus' chassis, sending the gestalt staggering back several steps. Stratosphere was making another run, this time with Airazor beside him in her jet mode. They opened fire on Bruticus just as he grabbed Drift and tossed him aside. Drift crashed near the Axalon wreck, near where Blur was protecting Marissa and Major Lennox, and quickly returned to the fight. Watching the Wrecker battling Bruticus, Blur set down the conversion cog he was holding and prepared to join the fight. Marissa looked at the cog, which was as large as she was, before she looked at Blur.

"Blur, where are you going?"

"I'm-gonna-help-the-Wreckers-'cause-I'm-not-the-mood-to-lose-anymore-friends. Just-protect-that-cog-with-your-life-'cause-without-it-Metroplex-screwed." Blur then rushed off without another word.

Bruticus was still singlehandedly beating back the Wreckers when Blur sprinted into the fray. He unleashed a rapid fire stream aimed the gestalt's face. Depth Charge and Bulkhead rushed Bruticus' legs and assaulted, sending Bruticus to one knee. Airazor and Stratosphere continued to pepper Bruticus with rapid fire missiles while Roulette and Drift performed hit and run moves. Through it all, Bruticus weathered the storm and when he found an opening, he seized it. Clasping his massive hands together, Bruticus slammed his fist into the surface of the Moon, kicking dust straight up. The attack knocked the Wreckers and Blur back, sending most of them tumbling into each other. Then Bruticus spotted the humans… and the cog. He lumbered toward them when Bulkhead noticed and gave chase, shooting at the gestalt's back to get his attention. Drift and Roulette assumed vehicle form and race to reach the humans while the rest of the Wreckers distracted Bruticus.

The distraction worked as Bruticus turned his attention to the Wreckers, while Drift and Roulette raced in and took the humans and the cog. Bruticus noticed the two sports cars racing away and went to chase then, only for the Wreckers to distract him further. He slid his leg across the Moon soil, knocking the Wreckers away and then targeted the Drift and Roulette. Deployed his ranged rifle, Bruticus fired at the ground in front of the two vehicles, sending them flying. Drift and Roulette transformed quickly, grasping their human charges to keep them from floating into space, and then landed back on the surface. Bruticus continued his advance almost until he was right on top of them and looked down on them.

"Bruticus, destroy puny Autobots." The giant mumbled.

Drift and Roulette ready themselves for the next assault when an explosion rocked Bruticus from behind him. A big explosion, and one not caused by the other Wreckers. Bruticus stumbled and fell to knee, smoke billowing from his back. All of the Wreckers looked to where the explosion originated and to everyone's surprise, they witnessed the dragon form of Sky Lynx approaching hard and fast. The side hatch on his module opened and the Aerielbots poured out, along with Breakaway and Tempest. The Aerielbots quickly merged into Superion and he went right for Bruticus. Bruticus was upright, his back still smoking, but he still held his own against Superion. That was until Breakaway and Tempest got involved. Their momentary distraction allowed Superion to pound Bruticus repeatedly until the gestalt finally disengaged into his five components. The Combaticons fell on top of each other and didn't move, having been knock into stasis lock. The Aerielbots disengaged to meet up with the Wreckers while Sky Lynx, Breakaway and Tempest joined up with them.

"Everyone okay here?" Tempest asked.

"Yeah, everyone's fine," Drift said before bowing his head. "Well, almost everyone; we lost Wheelie."

"You're kidding, right," Breakaway exclaimed, to which Drift only shook his head. "Oh, somebody's gonna pay. Somebody's gonna slaggin' pay."

"We've got bigger problems, literally; Trypticon is almost to Earth," Drift said. "We have to get the conversion cog to Metroplex before it's too late."

"Only we don't have a ship." Stratosphere said.

"Never fear, my friends," Sky Lynx assumed shuttle form and opened his hatch. "My superior flight skills will…"

"Just-shut-up-and-get-us-to-Earth-Sky-Lynx. We-gotta-go-like-now-now-right-now." Blur chattered.

The Autobots boarded Sky Lynx quickly and soon after, Sky Lynx launched off the Moon, leaving the unconscious Combaticons stranded. Inside, Major Lennox looked around and saw a console. "It's Sky Lynx, right?" he asked.

"Yes, and to whom am I speaking?" Sky Lynx asked.

"I need to use you console," Lennox didn't wait for Sky Lynx to respond as he was already on the console looking for anything resembling an intercom. When he found he started speaking, "This is Major William Lennox of Earth Defense Command Outpost One to Autobot Headquarters. You have a massive Decepticon warship on approach to Earth. ETA: 12 minutes and counting. Trajectory suggests the warship will impact in the Pacific Ocean 33 miles off the coast of Oregon."

* * *

><p>Location: Pacific Ocean<br>33 miles of Oregon coastline

A massive ball of fire crashed into the Pacific Ocean, creating a wall of water before vanishing beneath the waves. Underwater now and in his bipedal form, the massive Trypticon began making his way across the ocean floor. His destination; the Autobot's mountain headquarters. The mission; the Autobot's complete termination.

"Autobots, you destroyer approaches!"

* * *

><p>Author's note: Hm, imagine for a moment that you're on beach in the West Coast, taking in the Sun's rays, building a sand castle or playing Frisbee with your dog when all of a sudden you see it…<p>

A humongous steel dinosaur with an equally humongous appetite for wanton destruction. Sounds like a normal day in Power Rangers Land. Sorry, wrong genre. That last scene does seem familiar, doesn't it?

But really, this chapter was mainly about the Wreckers running into Trypticon and dealing with Bruticus.

Gimme a shout out, which means reviews.


	17. The Hall of Records

Disclaimer: Sorry for the delay; got a lot on my mind at the moment. Not to be nitpicky but reviews have been few and far between. I'm just saying.

I don't own the rights to Transformers, like you haven't heard that before.

* * *

><p>Chapter XVII<p>

Location: Cybertron  
>IaconKaon border

As the Junkion cruiser was brought to a halt, hovering over the cold steel surface of the former border of Iacon and Kaon, the Autobots disembarked one at a time, armed and ready. Nothing was amiss as far as Rodimus Prime could see, except that earlier before the cruiser descended, he noticed several planetary guns fried. It looked like they were blown up from above. All the evidence pointed to the Decepticons, which was something Rodimus wasn't ruling out. Or maybe it was the head of Unicron, still retaining a small fraction of the fallen god's power. It was unlikely but as before, Rodimus wasn't ruling out the possibility.

The thought of it made Rodimus Prime look up toward the heavens. Unicron's head floated ever ominously above Cybertron, a grim reminder of how the Great War took its toll on the Transformer's home world. Rodimus had hoped that with Unicron dead, the Great War would be over and peace would reign. But ever since the Quintessons showed up and Galvatron returned to the Decepticons, lasting peace never came to fruition. It all made Rodimus Prime feel uneasy, maybe questioning himself, and he failed somewhat to notice Elita One standing beside him. She glanced at him and it seemed different from when they first met, when Rodimus was still merely Hotrod and Elita was still bitter and angry. She trusted him now, maybe more than she let on. In any event, Rodimus turned to the cruiser, where Wreck-Gar was standing by the hatch.

"Thank you much for flying Air Junkion. We hope enjoy your stay." Wreck-Gar said with a twitching sound.

"Thanks for the assist, Wreck-Gar. We'll take it from here." Rodimus said.

"Easy peasy, achy shaky, hand on snaky," Wreck-Gar rambled on. "Don't go dying on the audience, Mr. Witwer. And we are outta here!" Wreck-Gar disappeared into the cruiser as it took off toward the stars.

"Always the eccentric, that Wreck-Gar." Springer quipped.

Kup was busy looking over the guns. "The damage on these guns doesn't look that bad." he said.

"Can they be repaired?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"With the 'Cons closing in on us, I doubt I get one of them operational much less all them."

"Maybe you won't need to," said Quickswitch, the Autobots newest member, much them chagrin of some. "As a Six-Changer, I can provide more than enough firepower to hold a whole Decepticon platoon at bay."

"You're a regular one-robot Army, huh!" Springer quipped, earning him the ire of Quickswitch.

"We've both seen him in action, Springer, but that raises a question," Rodimus Prime walked up to Quickswitch, having to look up at the hulking robot. "What happens if you have to fight your brother?"

"I'd prefer not to fight Sixshot, but given all that's happened, I think peaceful solutions are longed passed," Quickswitch stated. "If it comes to it, I _will_ kill Sixshot."

"Only if it comes to it," Rodimus Prime said. "Okay, let's roll out."

"Where're we going, Rodimus?" Ultra Magnus asked.

Rodimus Prime looked around the ruined city of Iacon and said, "We're going to the Hall of Records."

"The Hall of Records? I've heard of them but I've never really seen them in person." Spike stated.

"Well, you're in luck, buddy," Rodimus Prime said before assuming alt form. "You're going to see it first-hand. I just hope it's still standing."

Spike climbed into the long nose truck that was Rodimus Primes alt form, amusingly enough, taking the driver's seat. Rodimus Prime then rolled out as most of the Autobots, save Grimlock, Quickswitch and Blackarachnia, assumed their alt forms and followed. Grimlock simply lumbered after the Autobots and Quickswitch was about to follow when he noticed Blackarachnia drop to her knees. Up ahead, Elita One slowed to a stop, transforming slowly to avoid being noticed. Meanwhile, Quickswitch knelt down by Blackarachnia and saw something in her optics. Hurt maybe.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Blackarachnia looked ill, perhaps because she was technically part organic thanks to the Quintesson's experimentations on her. "I'm fine, just… It's been fifteen stellar-cycles since I left Cybertron. To return now after so long… like this," She looked down at her hands, fingers twitching. "I'm nothing but a monster now… a techno-organic."

"You're still Cybertronian, Blackarachnia, regardless of what's been done to you," Quickswitch said. "Tell me something; from what I understand, you hold Elita One in particular, responsible for what's been done to you."

"Of course I do," Blackarachnia snapped. "She abandoned me to save her own hide. But I don't expect a Decepticon to understand."

"I've been betrayed in my own way, so I can relate, but tell me this," Quickswitch said. "Had the rolls been reversed; had it been you and not Elita who'd escaped Alpha Q's experiments, who you have abandoned her?"

"Yes!" Blackarachnia hissed, but Quickswitch wasn't fooled.

"You're lying, both to me and yourself. And deep down in you Spark, you know it."

Quickswitch assumed his drill tank form and rumbled after the Autobots, leaving Blackarachia alone. There she sat, thinking, considering what Quickswitch said. She intended to dismiss it all, focusing solely on laying all blame on Elita One for abandoning her. But deep down, Blackarachnia knew it was never Elita's intention to abandon her to Alpha Q's experience. She didn't want to admit it, least of all to Elita. But Quickswitch knew that Blackarachnia was lying to herself, and Blackarachnia was too stubborn to admit it.

Then she thought about something Ironhide had told when she was still Chromia; no matter what, never leave an Autobot behind. In the past, Chromia never left anyone behind just to save herself, not even Elita One. Even though Transformers weren't capable of crying, Blackarachnia felt the need to. She wished that Ironhide was alive and here with her right now. Whether or not Blackarachnia knew of it, Elita One had long wished that Optimus was alive and with her. Blackarachnia then saw Elita One standing up ahead. She hadn't said a word nor tried to approach, but Blackarachnia saw an almost apologetic look in her optics. Without a word, Elita assumed alt form and rolled out, and Blackarachnia assumed spider form and swung after her.

* * *

><p>On the Quintesson vessel, Galvatron was pacing around like a cage animal when Scourge arrived. He looked around the deck; Cyclonus, Skyquake and Sixshot were standing by along with the Predacons. They were sniffing the air and Razorclaw and Rampage snarled at Scourge. Blitzwing, Soundwave Barricade and Fracture appeared to checking the readouts, which they could only vaguely determine were in the Quintesson language. Alpha Q was nowhere to be seen, probably to avoid a confrontation with Galvatron. Without looking back at the Sweep, Galvatron addressed him.<p>

"Where have you been, Scourge," he asked. "Cyclonus had some _interesting _things to tell me about you."

Scourge looked incredulously at Cyclonus. "You told him…" he muttered, to which Cyclonus stood stoic.

"Scourge," shouted Galvatron. "Maybe you can explain in detail, after I terminated that treacherous ex-Air Commander, TWICE, exactly how Starscream still functions now," Galvatron aimed his particle cannon at Scourge's face. "And, try not to lie to me."

"I… I can't…" Scourge rambled.

"You can't what? Spit it out before I extract the truth from your processor myself!"

"I… I can't explain how. Starscream appeared to me as some kind of apparition, like a ghost," Scourge said. "He was mangled and gray as ash. He said he wanted revenge against you for terminating him."

Over by one of the consoles, Barricade whispered to Fracture, "I thought Galvatron was out of whack."

A beam of light appeared and struck the console, forcing Barricade and Fracture to scatter. Galvatron, who fired the shot, bellowed, "SHUT UP," before aiming at Scourge again. "In case you hadn't noticed, Scourge, I don't believe in ghosts."

"I know what I saw, Galvatron…" Scourge started only for Galvatron to stamp his foot right in his face.

"Did you just talk back to me? Did you," Galvatron grinded the heel of his foot into Scourge's face. "Know this, Scourge; I destroyed Starscream because he crossed me too many times. You, I might destroy just for prove a point."

"Alert," said Soundwave. "We are approaching the vicinity of Cybertron. Scans indicate that the Autobots have touched down near the Iacon/Kaon border."

Galvatron removed his foot from Scourge before stomping over to Soundwave. "Where are they going?" he said.

"Energon readouts suggest their destination is the Iacon Hall of Records." said Soundwave.

"The Hall of Records," said Fracture. "I thought that place was reduced to a smoldering heap in the war. "I can't believe it still stands now."

"If it _does_ still stand." Blitzwing added.

"Uh, Galvatron, don't kill me or nothing, but," Barricade said. "I'm picking some energon readings from within Iacon. One of them looks they belong to a Six-Changer."

Sixshot joined Galvatron at the console and said, "Quickswitch. So that's it; he joined up with the bots."

"He betrayed the Decepticons, Sixshot," Galvatron said. "I assume you can rectify that."

Sixshot glared at Galvatron and then said, "Never liked him anyway."

"Good," Galvatron said before turning to Fracture and Blitzwing. "Take us in, hard and fast. We'll hit the Autobots where they live and bury them with their precious records."

Skyquake remained stoic in the darkest corner of the flight deck, watching Galvatron intently. He made no attempt to stop Galvatron from roughing up Scourge, possibly because he delighted in it. He also didn't believe the Sweep's words of some ghostly apparition of Starscream running around. Scourge, who was at the moment starting to stand up and gathered himself, darted his head back and forth. What he was looking for precisely, Skyquake didn't know. Skyquake glanced around the flight deck too, but not for Alpha Q, who'd been conspicuous by his absence. No, not Alpha Q, thought Skyquake.

A tiny part of him wondered if Scourge was on to something; a Cybertronian returning from the dead. It was unheard of and quite honestly, Skyquake didn't believe in such garbage. Then again, he was brought online by Cyclonus and, ironically, Scourge, after being dormant for countless cycles. But a so called ghost of Starscream? Skyquake would have to see it to believe it.

Hiding in the shadow even though it wasn't necessary, Starscream delighted in the havoc he was causing amongst his former allies. Especially Galvatron. In a way, Starscream was actually grateful to be dead, since now he had free reign to manipulate the Decepticons, and to an extent, the Autobots, any way he wanted. Much better than trying to usurp leadership, he thought. But that hardly changed the fact that he was a Spark without a body. That needed to change sooner or later, and Starscream preferred sooner.

* * *

><p>Everything was going according to Alpha Q's plan. The Decepticons were his unwitting pawns, plus Skyquake was convinced, at least in part, of a fabled Matrix of Conquest. Galveston seemed convinced if only a bit suspicious. But he and Skyquake were still at each other's throats, which played into Alpha Q hands (tentacles) quite nicely. Misdirection, guile and manipulation were exactly the kind of games he liked to play. They were useful allies in the grant scheme of things.<p>

Once Cybertron was in reach, the Decepticons would battle and terminate the Autobots, or maybe it would be the other way around. Either way was fine with Alpha Q as long as he got want he wanted in the end. The true prize was indeed a relic from long ago, but not a Matrix of Conquest as Galvatron and Skyquake believed. They'd eventually fight for it regardless and destroy each other. What Alpha Q wanted was somewhere within Iacon, presumably within the Hall of Records; the Covenant of Primus. It was a fabled databook that chronicled the past, the present and a future still to come. It was believed to be lost in the Great War, with countless blank pages still to be filled.

Alpha Q would be the one to fill in those blank pages, once the Autobots and Decepticons had destroyed each other. Then with Covenant, and Cybertron, in his grasp, Alpha Q would usher in the new age of the Quintessons. It would be glorious.

* * *

><p>Location: Iacon<p>

The Autobots drove through ruined streets of their former capitol city of Iacon, much of which remained remarkably intact even after Unicron's assault. Conversely, the Decepticon capitol of Kaon was near unrecognizable after the Chaos Bringer laid waste to it. That wasn't to say Iacon was in better shape. It was deserted, virtually devoid of life expect for the Autobots driving through the streets of the former city/state. The Autobots were attempting to reach the Hall of Records, the long fabled or as some would say forgotten archive which housed the recorded history of Cybertron. It had been long abandoned in the Great War from what some implied and as such was likely not maintained through stellar-cycles. It might even have been reduced to rubble.

But as it turned out the Autobots reached their destination, said rumors appeared to be false. After Spike stepped out, Rodimus Prime assumed proto form. Ultra Magnus followed suit, then Arcee and Elita One before the rest of the Autobots assumed proto form in short order. The group stood at the base of a large building, not unlike the once prominent architecture of Cybertron's past. The curving outer wall, which likely was once compose in golden-hued alloy, was now dark and rusted, appearing ready to fall apart. Yet it still stood even after stellar-cycles of war, after the arrival and subsequent destruction of Unicron.

Spike looked at the structure, seeing a domed rooftop atop of it. "So this is the Hall of Records, huh?" he said, to which Rodimus nodded.

"The central hub that houses all recorded history of the Cybertronian race, right down to the Original Thirteen Primes. Or say the legend goes," Kup explained. "Hard to believe it's still standing after so long."

"It was suggested a long time ago that Alpha Trion himself was an archivist in the Hall," Ultra Magnus stated. "Rumors claimed that he kept a databook for a series of important events. A Covenant, I think. But like I said; these were just rumors."

"Then what are we doing here?" Spike asked.

"Looking for answers," Rodimus Prime answered. "It's obvious at this point that the Quintessons created us, but what do we really know. There might be something in the Hall that can tell us how to beat them."

"That's a pretty big gamble, Rodimus." Ultra Magnus said.

"Bigger than my venturing into the Matrix," Rodimus inquired, to which Magnus had no answer. "Okay, Kup, Springer, Elita and Quickswitch; stay here and keep an optic open. The Decepticons won't be far behind and we need to be ready for them. Take Grimlock and Blackarachnia too."

"What about you? Elita asked.

"We're going into the Hall. Maybe we can find more info on the Quintessons to give ourselves an edge." Rodimus Prime said.

"That's the hope at least." Ultra Magnus added.

Rodimus Prime started on his way into the Hall with Spike, Ultra Magnus and Arcee when Elita suddenly said, "Rodimus," Rodimus turned to Elita and waited for her to speak, Which Elita seemed oddly hesitant to do. "Be careful in there." She finally said.

Rodimus nodded and continued on into the Hall of Records with Ultra Magnus, Arcee and Spike. Arcee stopped for a most to meet Elita One's optics. There was something there that Arcee couldn't discern, something in the way Elita looked at Rodimus. Arcee dismissed it for the moment and followed the other into the Hall of Records.

Inside, the Hall of Records was dark and cold due to the lack of lighting, and devoid of life after having been apparently long abandoned. The only sound, faint as it was, was the Autobots footsteps echoing through the Hall and become silent after a few moments at a time. They felt a reverence there, as if they were standing on holy ground. Massive shelves lined the walls on either side, totally inert. Once, Rodimus Prime thought, the Hall was brimming with wayward Cybertronian data clerks who busied themselves with organizing and cataloguing random bits of information for the Data Net. The Great War changed all of that.

Rodimus Prime wondered to one of the shelves where a single data stream appeared to be active. It had a very faint blue hue. When he touched it, the stream morphed and changed into an image of something he had seen before; Primus and Unicron battling in the beginning of time. The image jumped to a point where Unicron and Primus took on their respective planet forms, and then the Quintessons appeared. It still made no sense to Rodimus; why would Primus ever even think about creating the Quintessons? Unless… Rodimus rewound the image. He saw Unicron do something that seemed to wound Primus. No not wound Primus; tainted him. It looked like a tiny particle of energon, only shimmering black with tiny arcs of light jolting from it.

As Primus formed his planetary form, the anti-energon mutated into a familiar shape; Alpha Q. "You've got to be kidding me."

Arcee, who'd been similarly looking through another data stream, looked over at Rodimus and said, "What wrong, Rodimus?"

Rodimus looked at Arcee just as Ultra Magnus and Spike approached. "Everything alright, Rodimus?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"Well," Rodimus Prime said. "I've got good news and I've got bad news. Good news is that Primus didn't create the Quintessons like we thought."

"Yeah, I'm not even sure that qualifies as good news," Spike quipped. "But, if the Quintessons created the Transformers, but Primus didn't create the Quintessons… and I'm totally confused."

"I think what Spike means is," Arcee said. "Who created the Quintessons?"

Rodimus Prime fell silent for a seemingly long time before answering. "Unicron."

Everyone present went quiet before Spike said, "Oh, that's great! That's just friggin' great! So the Transformer equivalent of the Devil creates his version of Hellspawn, who in turn creates the race that winds up killing the Devil. Sound like something out of the Bible."

"That's one way of putting," Ultra Magnus said. "But how could Unicron have been able to influence Primus into creating the Quintessons?"

"I don't know. Maybe Unicron infected Primus somehow," Rodimus Prime said. "But the answer might be in the Covenant of Primus, assuming we can find it."

"I'm pretty sure I mentioned the Covenant was a just a rumor," Ultra Magnus said. "Even if it was real, how're we going to find it in all of the mess?"

"Guess we'd better starting searching then." Rodimus said.

* * *

><p>Location: Pacific Ocean<br>12 miles off Oregon coastline

The captain of a moderately sized fishing boat thought he saw something in the water. Twenty years on the job made him an experienced veteran. So he would've dismissed the large, looming shadow to be a school of fish ready to be caught in boat's net. Maybe a whale. The shadow went underneath the fishing boat. A couple of the fishermen on the boat watch the shadow going under the boat without stopping.

One fisherman looked his shipmate, who had a bewildered look on his face. "If you say _Godzilla_, I'm throwing you overboard." he said.

The other fisherman, who actually only knew French, simply shrugged when the boat suddenly jolted violently. Something had been caught it the net that was underwater, and whatever it was, it was too big to be a school of fish or a whale. The boat was suddenly being pulled backwards by whatever was underwater. The captain started the engine to try and steer his boat away. Sea water was already spilling into the deck and the crew scrambled to cut the net any way they could. The shadowed moved faster by the minute and the boat was being pulled under the water. The captain gunned the engine further only for it to blow out. Water was streaming into the lower deck of the boat.

The captain gave the order to abandon ship. The crew threw on any available life preserves or tossed any life rafts on hand into the water before jumping overboard. Not everyone made it; a couple fishermen were trapped in the lower deck of the boat. They wouldn't survive. The survivors in the life rafts watch the boat disappear into the water, but saw no sign of the force that pulled it down.

Below the surface, uncaring of the ill fated fishing boat that he destroyed, Trypticon went on his way toward where the Autobot's mountain headquarters was located. He'd taking to swimming across the ocean since it was easier than simply walking. Either way, he'd reach his target soon enough and then he tear it apart. No one would stand in his way.

* * *

><p>Author's note: Jeez, 'bout time I got this chapter down. Be honest; does the last scene seem similar to the opening seen from <em>Godzilla<em> (1998?)

I think it's pretty obvious that there is no Matrix of Conquest, as was made apparent when the Covenant of Primus was brought up. That Alpha Q is such a schemer, isn't he?

Anyone else notice Elita One behaving a tad differently, and Blackarachnia maybe also coming to terms with what she's become?

The Hall of Records makes an appearance here, which felt appropriate given the storyline. Better than finding a library on an asteroid, right?

Well, you decide and give me your thoughts on this chapter. Adios.


	18. Defensor's Last Stand

Disclaimer: See, now it's getting serious with Trypticon in the fold. I'm getting a few more reviews now so it's much appreciated. Here goes the next chapter so enjoy. For the record, I'm currently on vacation in Puerto Rico so I'm using a seperate computer to upload this chapter.

I don't own… you already know!

* * *

><p>Chapter XVIII<p>

Location: Yaquina Bay  
>Newport, Oregon<p>

The fishing harbor in Yaquina Bay, Newport, Oregon was teeming with the activities of everyday fishermen and dockworkers going about their business. Most, if not all, paid little attention to the large shadow looming under the water within the bay. But reports came into the port about a fishing boat going down 12 miles off the coast. It was said that something _pulled_ the boat under and there was no report of survivors.

Regardless, the Protectobots were dispatched to the port to assist in whatever way they can. Hovering high above the last known site of the fishing boat was Blades, and he spotted a pair of file rafts drifting in the Pacific. He couldn't see any sight of the boat itself save for some bits of wreckage, nor what sank it.

"Blades to Hotspot, I got a visual on the human survivors but no sign of the boat or what sunk it."

"_Copy that, Blades," _said Hotspot from back at the harbor. _"Start airlifting the survivors and bring them over to First Aid. I'm patrolling the area with Streetwise and Groove. We'll keep you posted if anything changes."_

"If it's the 'Cons, leave some for me. I'm spoiling for a fight in a big way." Blades said as he started lowering his rescue platform.

"_Mellow out, Blades,"_ said Groove. _"Life ain't all about fighting, you know."_

"It is for me, Groove."

Hotspot, Groove and Streetwise patrolled the harbor, staying vigilant for any sight whatsoever of the Decepticons. Before the Protectobots were ever even dispatched, Autobot Headquarters and the Metroplex had received reports of a massive Decepticon warship entering Earth's atmosphere. As such, both locations were on high alert, especially since said warship seemed to disappear. So, the Protectobots were on edge but dutifully carried on with their patrol. First Aid was at the local medical center awaited Blades' return with the survivors. Not one of them notice the unusually large ripple in the bay, not until Hotshot stopped short and assumed proto form. Streetwise and Groove followed suit.

"What wrong, Hotspot," Streetwise asked. "You don't seem as energetic as you normally would."

"I'm getting a real bad vibe here," Hotspot said and pressed his finger to his head. "First Aid, did Blades get to the med center yet?"

"_He's just arriving with the survivors, Hotspot,"_ First Aid said. _"We'll meet you at your curtain location as soon as possible."_

"Better make it fast, First Aid." Hotspot said.

He noticed the shadow in the water darkening as it became obvious that something was rising. Hotspot, Streetwise and Groove readied their weapons while a group of human gathered in the background. Then the water rose and quickly gave way to the sight of a gigantic metal figure, black and purple and silver with the telltale appearance of a dinosaur. It looked at the three Protectobots, snarling at them and sending the humans running. The sight of it amused the beast as it snickered at then leered at the Protectobots.

"I am Trypticon and this world is mine."

"Okay, I think we're big trouble." Groove quipped.

"Get these people out of here," Hotspot ordered before calling First Aid. "First Aid, Blades, get your tailpipes over here now."

"_We're on our way, Hotspot. ETA, three cycles."_ First Aid responded.

"We won't be here for that long. Hustle it up."

Trypticon lumbered part of his gargantuan form out of the bay, already dwarfing the three Protectobots who were backing away. They began firing on the beast only for their shots to bounce off his armor. If anything, their feeble efforts only amused Trypticon. He was now almost completely out of the bay save for his giant right leg, and the Protectobots transformed and took off rolling. First Aid and Blades arrived and joined Hotspot, Streetwise and Groove by the time Trypticon was fully out of the bay. He towered over the entire harbor, moving his around as if to sniff the air, and then redirected his attention to the Protectobots. The Protectobots all returned to proto form and stared up at the giant.

"Well he's…" First Aid started to say but was in awe of the sheer size of Trypticon. "…Big!"

Blades unsheathed his swords, creaked his neck and confidently stated, "We've fought bigger."

"We've got to buy the humans as much time as possible to get to safely," said Hotspot. "Concentrate on the legs."

It was Hotspot who fired the salvo of laser fire, striking the lower part of Trypticon's foot. Blades swooped in and started slicing at the heavy armor while Groove and Streetwise focused on the other foot. First Aid, being the pacifist as he was, focused on escorting as many humans away as possible. The local authorities assisted any way they could. The other Protectobots continued attacking Trypticon, who seemed be barely even acknowledging their attacks. Trypticon then started to take a single step, forcing the Protectobots to scatter. He whipped his massive tail up and down into the bay, creating a wall of water to burst forth and dousing the Protectobots and knocking them down. Blades was the only one still mobile and launched himself toward Trypticon's face.

Trypticon narrowed his vision and snarled, and Blades snarled back before jamming one of swords into the beast's face. Trypticon barely felt it but violently shook his head. The momentum sent Blades flying back down to the ground where Hotspot caught him. Blades recovered quickly and saw the sword he plunged into Trypticon's face had snapped off, leaving only the hilt. Trypticon shifted to his left and in doing so, prepared to bring his massive tail right down on the two Protectobots. Hotspot and Blades managed to regroup with Streetwise, Groove and First Aid while Trypticon starting lumbering away from them. The Protectobots fired on him, but Trypticon merely ignored them.

"Where're you going, you metal munching lizard," Blades shouted. "You scared? You should be."

"Hotspot, I've scanned the path and trajectory of that thing," Streetwise said. "It's heading for Autobot Headquarters."

"Get on the horn with Jazz. Tell him they've got incoming." said Hotspot.

* * *

><p>At the Metroplex, Blaster was picking up some very familiar readings as well as some unfamiliar ones. "Yo Perceptor, I'm gettin' a bad backbeat that screams Decepticon."<p>

Perceptor approached the station where Blaster was at along with Outback and checked the readout for himself. The readout showed up to sixty individual signatures, twelve of them Decepticons. The other forty-eight were unknown and bunched up into two separate groups. Outback brought up a visual that showed twelve vehicles approaching the city, and every one of them was all too familiar. Two of the vehicles from each group, a lime green dump truck and a black tractor trailer, pulled up and dumped the contents of whatever they were carrying. The Autobots in the city were stunned when they saw that the contents were strange looking robots. The vehicles all transformed into their proto forms, showing they were indeed the Contructicons and the Stunticons fully rejuvenated and ready for war.

"I'm going to enjoy sacking this town." said Motor Master.

"I suggest sending in the Sharkticons and Allicons first." Scrapper said.

"Why?" asked Long Haul.

"They're expendable." Scrapper explained.

"Better them than us." Dead End said.

"Fine then," said Motor Master. "Sharkticons and Allicons; tear this city apart."

The Sharkticon and Allicon infantries quickly switched to their alt form and began their advance on the city. The Autobots inside acted fast and began activating the city's defenses, which were limited since the new conversion cog hadn't arrived yet. The guns were still active and Outback trained them on the invading Sharkticons and Allicons. Perceptor activated the city's new combat drones, non-sentient machines he and Wheeljack had designed to be resilient. The drones advanced on the Sharkticons and Allicons and quickly opened fired. The shots sheared through the armor of several of the infantry beasts while the rest kept coming. Just like that, the Sharkticon/Allicon infantry number of forty-eight dropped to thirty-six.

Regardless of the numbers lost, the beast advanced. Some of them got close enough to tear apart a few of the drones, but most of the drones fought back. The guns of the city opened fire on the Stunticons and Constructicons, forcing them to scatter about and return fire. The drones continued to battle the beasts, with each side growing in casualties. Inside the watch tower, Blaster was picking an unusually large energon signature emanating from a harbor in Newport. The Protectobots, as blaster understood it, were sent there to patrol the site. Whatever this signature was, it was now heading from the harbor toward the Autobot's mountain base.

"_Hotspot to Autobot City, come in."_

"Hotspot, it's Blaster. We're picking up a big time energon reading coming straight outta Yaquina Bay."

"_Yeah,"_ said Hotspot. _"It's the mother of all Decepticons and it's headed for the Autobot Headquarters. We've been trying to radio Jazz but something's jamming the radio. First Aid thinks it might be from that juggernaut of a 'Con."_

"Well, we got problems of our own over here," Blaster exclaimed. "We got Stunticons and Constructicons takin' potshots on us, along with some bots I never saw before. Gotta be a full scale assault, and Blur and Wheelie ain't shown up yet."

"_Right. We'll try to slow this thing down before it reaches Headquarters,"_ said Hotspot. _"With any luck, Blur and Wheelie will reach the city so Wheeljack can install the cog."_ The transmission cut out.

"Wheeljack better know how install a conversion cog, because if whatever's attacking the mountain base head this way, we're screwed." said Outback just as he fired a salvo round at the Constructicons.

"He did it for the Dinobots," Blaster pointed out before he looked out the window. He could see five large animals approaching the main battle. "Speaking of which…"

The Dinobots, minus Grimlock due to his being with Rodimus Prime, charged toward the skirmish between the Sharkticon/Allicon infantry and the city drones. Their presence forced the Constructicons and Stunticons to back off, though the infantry wasn't nearly smart enough to do the same. Slag and Quickstrike charged and pounced into the pack of beasts, ripping right through them and reducing several of them into pieces. Swoop grabbed one of the Sharkticons and hoisted it up into the air. From there, he dropped the hapless machine into the un-waiting group of Allicons. That same group was quickly skewered by Snarl or stomped on by Sludge.

The remaining beasts, about twenty-one of them left, redoubled their efforts and attacked the Dinobots all at once. The battle plan failed miserably as the Dinobots tore them apart in a matter of moments. Twelve remained and they kept coming back for more. The Dinobots continued to massacre them until six remained, and they didn't last long. Then Quickstrike began feasting on the remains.

"Fighting more fun if leader Grimlock here." Snarl said.

"Me Quickstrike not care, as long there lots of food." said Quickstrike as he chewed on some Allicon remains.

Meanwhile, the remaining city drones focused on the Constructicons and Stunticons, who were all clearly superior to the non-sentient machines. The Constructicons made effective use of their melee weapons to cleave and hack several drones in half. The Stunticons on the other hand simply did what they do best; transforming and ramming into the drones. Every drive by (or through) left several more drones in pieces. The remaining drone all ganged up on Motor Master, who swiftly sliced them up and kicked a severed head away. The head bounced and stopped right in front of the Dinobots, all of whom turned their attention to the two combiner teams.

"Ha, now it's us against them." Motor Master said gleefully.

"Them? They'll tear us to pieces." said Dead End.

"Just shut up and unite, you idiot."

Though fearful of their leader, the Stunticons began transforming and combining into the combined form of Menasor. The Constructicons followed suit and merged into Devastator. The Dinobots didn't back off or flinch. They charged right into the fight with Swoop and Quickstrike targeting Menasor and Sludge, Slag and Snarl going directly for Devastator. The gestalts fought back in a relentless brawl while inside the watch tower, Blaster, Perceptor and Outback watched.

"Let's hope the Dinobots can hold out until Blur and Wheelie get here with that cog." Outback exclaimed.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Jazz," said Bluestreak. "Teletraan One just picked a huge energon signature berthing out of Yaquina Bay."<p>

Jazz approached Bluestreak, being flanked on either side by Cliffjumper and Tailgate. "Yaquina Bay? That's where the Protectobots went. How big are we talkin', Bluestreak?"

"I'd say really, really big based on these readings, Bluestreak stated. "Hang on; let me get it on the big screen."

The screen of Teletraan One switched on and then the Autobots saw it; a gigantic bipedal beast resembling a dinosaur or dragon, black and purple with hints of silver colors here and there. Its face appeared nearly reptilian as it slammed its giant feet down into the land, causing a series of tremors with each step. The tail whipped to and fro, kicking walls of dust into the air. There was something familiar about the beast from the way Jazz looked at it. Then it hit him…

"That can't be what I think it is." he said.

"What is it, Jazz?" Tailgate asked.

"Trypticon."

Cliffjumper stepped forward and said, "You're kidding me, right? I thought Trypticon disappeared during the Great War."

"I wish," Jazz said and approached the console. "Autobots, this is Jazz. Priority One alert; battle stations immediately. I repeat; battle stations."

Then through the intercom, Trypticon bellowed, _"Autobots, face you annihilation."_

"Um, maybe he just wants to say hello." Tailgate tried and failed to be optimistic

Cliffjumper was about to answer when the whole base shook so violently that the Autobots inside tripped and fell over themselves. Then Cliffjumper said, "I don't know, Tailgate. This feels like a pretty sincere attempt on our lives."

Outside of the base, Trypticon was stomping closer into range. Behind him, the Protectobots were driving up to try to recapture the titan's attention. They stopped short and quickly united into the combined form of Defensor. Even in his combined form, Defensor was dwarfed by Trypticon. The size difference didn't stop him from leaping and grabbing hold of Trypticon's giant tail. It got Trypticon's attention and the titan started whipping his tail wildly. Defensor hung on for dear life while, in the mountain base, the Autobots rushed to get the base defenses up and running. Several Autobots, led by Jazz, mobilized to try to assist Defensor.

Trypticon continued his attempts to get rid of Defensor when a small contingent of Autobots, Jazz, Cliffjumper, Tailgate, Bluestreak, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker arrived on the scene. Trypticon managed to rid himself of Defensor, sending the gestalt flying into a nearby hillside. Jazz and his small troupe of bots quickly opened fire on Trypticon, having about as little success as the Protectobots did earlier at the harbor. Their shots merely bounced harmlessly off Trypticon's armor, who responded by attempting to stomp the Autobots. The Autobots scattered, regrouped and continued to fire at Trypticon with little success. Defensor rejoined the battle while along the mountain walls of the base, a series of gun turrets appeared.

Inside the base, Bumblebee and Seaspray manned the guns while Grapple and Hoist prepared to receive any wounded Autobots. The guns fired, striking Trypticon on varying points of his body. The shots from the big guns left Trypticon's armor scorched but not with any more significant damage. The only real thing the guns did was anger the titan.

"Foolish Autobots! None can stand in the way of the mighty Trypticon," The titanic Decepticon took a heavy stance, and a series of guns appeared on his shoulders and chassis. "Least of all; you."

Then Trypticon opened his massive jaws and a purple light began to shine from within. The seven fighting Autobots and Defensor tensed but stood their ground, waiting for what was coming. Trypticon fired a beam of purple energy directly at the Autobots, forcing them to scatter. Then he unleashed a relentless stream of laser fire from his shoulder mounted gun implements, again missing the Autobots by a hair. Some of the shots hit the mountain base, causing some damage but not enough to render the base defenseless.

The base defense guns fired back, striking Trypticon multiple times on his chassis but still only further angering him. The outside Autobots returned fire too, even though their own attacks did hardly anything to stop Trypticon or slow him down. Trypticon fired back with his laser and shoulder guns aimed at Defensor and Tailgate. Defensor activated his force field to defend against the attack while Jazz, Bluestreak and Cliffjumper drove around behind Trypticon. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe drove around to the other side of Trypticon where they quickly regrouped with Jazz, Bluestreak and Cliffjumper.

They opened fired on Trypticon's tail, but this hardly registered to the titan; except that his tail was coming down on them. The tail came crashing down, forcing the Autobots to scatter once more except for Sunstreaker. He refused to bolt as the tail was about to crush him. Sunstreaker was suddenly pushed out of the way by Bluestreak, who soon paid the price for his action. Moments later, Bluestreak disappeared under Trypticon's tail and when it was raised, all that was left of Bluestreak was a broken pile of steel in a pool of energon.

Angered by the loss of Bluestreak, but also motivated, the Autobots pushed up their assault while the base defenses continued peppering Trypticon with laser fire. Defensor threw himself into the fray and began pounding Trypticon's foot. He was able to leave a few dents but that hardly bothered Trypticon. Eventually, Trypticon began ignoring the Autobots and focused on their headquarters, whose gun implements continued the heavy barrage of laser fire. Trypticon returned fire with his big laser and struck the mountain dead on. Several gun implements were vaporized in moments while the Autobots inside were thrown to the floor like ragdolls.

"Alert: critical systems damage. Repeat: critical systems damage." Reported Telatraan One.

Grapple and Hoist had to act fast as Teletraan One began to short circuit. Trypticon fired another laser blast, striking one of the last remaining gun implements. Seaspray was manning said gun and was incinerated in the resulting explosion. Bumblebee got out of his station just in time and saw Grapple and Hoist attempting to make hasty repairs. Suddenly, Teletraan One exploded right in front of them, killing both Grapple and Hoist. At the same time, falling debris came down on and pinned Bumblebee.

Back outside, Jazz saw the damage being done to the base. He quickly transformed and raced for the base at the behest of Cliffjumper, who assured Jazz that he could carry on the fight with Sideswipe, Tailgate and Sunstreaker. But Jazz raced back into the suddenly half destroyed Autobot Headquarters, transforming midway to avoid crashing into any fallen debris. He found Bumblebee amid the rubble, pinned under support beam and rushed to get to him. Once within reach, Jazz started his attempt to move support beam. It barely budged but Jazz was determined to get Bumblebee free.

Bumblebee, despite the damage to his vecoder, said to Jazz. "Geeeeetttttt… out of… heerrrreee, Jazzzzzzz."

Jazz looked at Bumblebee and said, "I won't leave a bot down like this, Bee. I'm gettin' you outta here."

But before Jazz could continue, the ceiling gave way above them, burying them alive. Then the entire side of the mountain began to collapse as Trypticon blasted it. The remaining Autobots, led by Defensor, continued battling for all they were worth. But the battle was already lost and they were forced to fall back. Defensor ordered Cliffjumper, Tailgate, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker to retreat while he stayed to hold Trypticon off. The four Autobots transformed and bolted while Trypticon laughed at them.

"You cannot escape your reckoning, Autobots," he said. "Now, face your end."

Despite the obviously severe disadvantage he was facing, Defensor stood his ground as Trypticon readied his main beam weapon. It was suicide for Defensor, but he knew it was the only way. Trypticon fired his beam attack, and Defensor activated his force field. The beam impacted the field, creating shower of purple and red sparks that resembled a fireworks display. Defensor held the field against Trypticon's beam and after a seemingly even battle it became clear that Trypticon was too much for Defensor. The force field began to fail and Defensor felt his armor begin to sheer and melt under the stress. Trypticon could be heard laughing while intensifying his attack until at last, he got through the field and in a flash of purple light, Defensor vanished.

* * *

><p>Author's note: The Lord said "Let there be light, and there was light." It just wasn't the light Defensor was hoping for. This chapter was all about Trypticon wreaking havoc, ending with Defensor making a heroic sacrifice.<p>

You'll notice a few character getting killed off here which was to add to the emotion. Extreme but necessary. Let me know what you think. Adios.


	19. Heavy Hitters

Disclaimer: I'm back from vacation and back to business with another chapter. I'll skip the disclaimer and let you enjoy.

* * *

><p>Chapter XIX<p>

Location: Autobot City  
>Metroplex subsection<p>

The Dinobots managed to more than hold their own against Devastator and Menasor, tripping up the latter and causing him to tumble to the ground. Devastator proved to be the much larger challenge since he expected to lay waste to the Dinobots liked he'd done during the previous siege. That should've been easy since Grimlock wasn't present to lead the Dinobots. But the Dinobots proved much more resilient even without Grimlock, thanks in part to the surprising cunning of Swoop and the raw viciousness of Quickstrike. Add in the addition of the brute power of Snarl, Slag and Sludge and Devastator was in for a fight.

Menasor rejoined the fight and charge in with his energy sword raised up high. Slag saw the gestalt coming and spewed his fire breath at him. The fire scorch but didn't slow Menasor down, but it left him open to a sudden pounce by Quickstrike. With Menasor distracted by Quickstrike clawing at his face, Swoop flew in and launched his missiles on him. The attack did its job, causing Menasor to disengage into his five Stunticon components.

Devastator fought back against Snarl and Sludge, the former whipping his tail in an attempt to skewer him and the latter trying to disorient him with quakes. The quakes and tail whip sent Devastator to one knee but he was far from beaten. He deployed his rifle and fire, striking Sludge who went flying into Snarl. The two Dinobots, ever resilient, recovered quickly and converge on Devastator again, this time joined by Quickstrike, Slag and Swoop. Devastator continued to fight them off, tossing Sludge into Slag and kicking Quickstrike away, but the Dinobots just kept coming. Eventually, it all became too much for Devastator to handle and he disengaged into the six Constructicons. The Constructicons retreated with the Stunticons, leaving the Dinobots to celebrate their seeming victory.

But up in the watch tower, Perceptor, Blaster and Outback knew something wasn't right. "I don't get it," said Outback. "Why would the 'Cons just attack and then break off for no reason?"

"Maybe their internal chronometers are all outta whack," Blaster joked. "At least the Dinobots gave 'me a good whoopin'."

Perceptor didn't like it as Wheeljack was entering the tower. "No, something is very wrong."

"Any contact from Blur and Wheelie?" said Wheeljack.

"None. In fact, we're not receiving anything from Autobot Headquarters either." Perceptor said.

"Yo, stop your grinnin' and drop your linen. I 'gettin' a call from Cliffjumper." Blaster announced before assuming alt form and plugging into the audio speakers.

"…_you reading me? Autobot Headquarters has been destroyed. Repeat; Autobot Headquarters has been destroyed, over?"_

"Cliffjumper, it's Wheeljack. Where are you? Where're Jazz or Bluestreak?"

"_I'm on route to the city with Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Tailgate. Jazz and Bluestreak," _There was a pause before Cliffjumper continued. _"Bluestreak is dead and Jazz went back into the base to help any survivors. No word from him. We were attacked by Trypticon. Defensor stayed behind to fight him off. I don't think he made it."_

Perceptor pulled Wheeljack away and whispered, "Did he say 'Trypticon'?"

"_Hello? What are you guys sleeping or something?"_ Cliffjumper shouted.

"Just get to the city as soon as you can, Cliffjumper. We'll see what we can do about…" Wheeljack was saying when the transmission switched to a new one.

"_This is Sky Lynx to Autobot City. Is anyone receiving me?"_

"Sky Lynx, this is Perceptor. Autobot Headquarters has been destroyed and we have survivors approaching."

"_Say that again? Autobot Headquarters has been destroyed?"_ Sky Lynx repeated in shock.

"That's a big time affirmative, Sky Lynx," Blaster said. "Cliffjumper said it was Trypticon bustin' down the doors to HQ."

"As far as we know, Jazz, Bluestreak and several other Autobots were killed in the attack," Perpector added. "Even worse, Trypticon appears to be headed this way. I suggest you hold position until the main city guns are recharged."

"_By that time, it'll be too late,"_ Sky Lynx said. _"I'm shuttling the Wreckers along with Breakaway, Tempest and the Aerielbots. Hopefully, they can buy some time for Blur to get there with the cog."_

"All we can do is hope." said Perceptor.

* * *

><p>Location: Cybertron<br>Iacon; Hall of Records

Going further into the Hall of Records, Rodimus Prime was starting to feel ever smaller. Maybe it was nerves, or the Autobot equivalent of nerves, but either way, Rodimus felt like he and his friends shouldn't be there. But it was obvious by now that they needed to find the Covenant of Primus before the Decepticons arrived. That was going to be a lot sooner rather than later. While Rodimus searched with Arcee, Spike and Ultra Magnus roamed in between the data streams that flickered. Magnus stopped and saw a particular stream. He touched it and saw the faint digital image of a robot. Something was familiar about it and then Magnus noticed something more. In his mind he knew, all traces of this particular bot should've been erased after the war. No one, not even Rodimus, should've ever…

"Magnus," Spike said. "You okay?"

Yeah. I'm just…" Magnus quickly shut off the data stream, but Spike wasn't convinced.

"What was that data stream you just shut down?"

"Nothing."

Spike still wasn't convinced. "You don't just shut down a data stream for nothing, Magnus. What's going on?"

"Spike," Ultra Magnus snapped but very quietly. "There're some things about our history that are best left forgotten. Let's leave it at that."

"Like knowing that the Quintessons created the Transformers? Yeah, that's pretty forgettable!" Spike quipped.

"Hey," Arcee called out. "I think we got something here."

Spike and Ultra Magnus rushed over to Arcee, who was with Rodimus at the moment. Rodimus was standing by a wall, but Spike and Magnus noticed what appeared to be creases in it. Barely able to make out a faint glow, Rodimus touched the wall. Nothing happened at first but the creases burst with blue light, similar to the light from the Matrix. Then the wall pulled away, split down the middle and opened. The new opened seemed to lead into a dimly lit area.

"That's different." said Spike.

"A hidden entrance isn't something we haven't seen before." Ultra Magnus stated.

"In the Hall of Records?" Spike asked.

Ultra Magnus glanced at Spike and shrugged, "Okay, that's a new."

"_Rodimus, it's Elita. What's going on in there?"_

"We found what looks like a hidden chamber in the Hall of Records. It might have something we can use against the Quintessons." Rodimus Prime said.

"_What do you think you'll find?"_ Elita asked.

"No idea." Rodimus said.

"Springer, it's Magnus. How're things out on your end?"

"_It's pretty quiet so far. The only action I've seen so far was Grimlock chewing on a dead power cable. Thought he got smarter for a nano-click"_ said Springer. _"Other than that, we haven't seen any sign of the Decepticons yet but we'll keep you posted. Springer out."_

Ultra Magnus cut out the link and looked to Rodimus Prime. Rodimus nodded and, carefully, stepped through the opening. He half expected something to happen, like a sudden Decepticon ambush or worse, a Unicron avatar. Neither scenario played out but Rodimus deployed his gun just the same. Arcee and Ultra Magnus followed suit with Spike walking between and cautious followed Rodimus into the opening.

There seemed to be solid ground beneath them, but they walked single file. Being low to the ground, Spike barely made out some sort of aisle and nothing but pitch black darkness below. So if he or one of the Autobots lost their footing and fell, they'd be dead. Spike continued to look around and from what he could barely tell, they had entered a wide open circular chamber. Rodimus Prime picked up his pace when he noticed what looked almost like a desk at the end of the aisle. When he reached it, he saw nothing remarkable. He found something like the equivalent of a feather from an avian species. More like a quill actually. He picked it up and examined it closely, getting the same feeling of reverence he picked up in the Hall.

Arcee approached Rodimus and saw the object he held before asking, "What is it?"

"It's a quill," Rodimus Prime said. "It must've been used to document events into the Covenant of Primus."

Magnus took the quill and looked it over. "If I recall my history, none of the data clerks ever used something like this. Only the Archivist ever had any business with this quill."

"You mean Alpha Trion?" Rodimus Prime asked.

"Maybe," Ultra Magnus said. "Like I said before, it was only _suggested_ that Alpha Trion was an Archivist."

"But what if he was _the_ Archivist," Rodimus Prime stated. "That would mean that he was in charge of documenting everything that's happened into the Covenant, including the start of the Great War. Which means…?"

Ultra Magnus, Arcee and Spike waited for a few moments before Spike said, "Which means what, Rodimus?"

Rodimus Prime himself was trying to piece it all together before he finally said, "Alpha Q's after the Covenant of Primus. That's why he's working with the Decepticons. Let me rephrase that; he's using the Decepticons."

"Using the Decepticons; why?" Arcee asked.

"The Cons have the firepower and commitment to see it through, especially considering that Alpha Q is physically weaker than them," Ultra Magnus concluded. "Alpha Q is manipulating them into doing his dirty work."

"Just like Unicron manipulating Galvatron." Rodimus Prime said.

"_Kup to Rodimus Prime, come in."_

"What's going on, Kup?" Rodimus asked.

"_We've got company. You better wrap things up in there."_

"You heard him, Autobots. Let's go."

* * *

><p>From aboard the Quintesson ship, the Hall of Records was truly a magnificent sight to behold. It made Galvatron sick to his core. He was much more interested in mangling Autobots and to his sick delight, several Autobots were stationed just outside the Hall of Records. Quickswitch was among them, thus confirming his defection or in Galvatron's mind, visceral betrayal. Galvatron then saw Rodimus Prime emerging from inside the Hall, with Arcee and Ultra Magnus in tow and that the filthy human insect. How he longed have the chance to squash that insignificant bug. But that could wait until he discovered why Rodimus came out of the Hall. He obviously went in for something and whatever it was, Galvatron wanted it.<p>

"Hmm, it seems that the Autobots have located the fabled Hall of Records." said Alpha Q in a somewhat smarmy tone.

"I can see that for myself, alien. I don't need you to analyze it for me," Galvatron snarled and turned to Blitzwing. "Blitzwing, you and Fracture will remain on board with Alpha Q. The rest us will engage the Autobots and take over the Hall. If it can't be taken, bombard it."

Blitzwing and Fracture exchanged shocked looks and Blitzwing said, "That's the slagging Hall of Records and you _want _us to** bombard **it?"

Galvatron grasped Blitzwing by the neck and lifted him up. "Question my orders again, Blitzwing. I dare you." When Blitzwing didn't answer, Galvatron released him and stormed off.

Fracture helped Blitzwing up and whispered, "He's insane."

"He's not the only one." Blitzwing said as he glanced at Skyquake.

Skyquake himself was glancing at Alpha Q. Blitzwing saw something; a look of agreement. Collusion between Skyquake and Alpha Q. Sweet slag; Skyquake was working with Alpha Q. Blitzwing could see it but couldn't pinpoint to what end. It had to be bad for the Decepticons but there was no way Galvatron was going to listen or care. Skyquake went to join Galvatron when he suddenly glanced at Blitzwing and Fracture, and did so menacingly. It seemed like he knew what they were thinking but he didn't confront them. It reminded Blitzwing of Starscream and his countless attempts to overthrow Megatron so long ago. It didn't end well for him but as Blitzwing was thinking about, Starscream appeared in ghostly form, watching and waiting with a sick smile. He just had to wait a little longer. He could wait; he was good at that.

* * *

><p>The Quintesson ship hovered above the steel ground just outside of the Hall when Rodimus, Magnus and Arcee joined the rest of the Autobots as a side hatch opened on the ship. The Predacons were the first to emerge from within, followed closely by Barricade and Soundwave. Sixshot came out next followed by Scourge and Cyclonus. Then Galvatron and Skyquake emerged and touchdown at the exact same time. They glared at each other before Skyquake stepped back and waved Galvatron ahead.<p>

Springer looked over the sheer number of Decepticons and quipped, "Well, it's been nice knowing you, guys."

"C'mon, Springer," Elita One said. "It's not that bad."

"Have you _seen _their numbers?" Springer asked when Grimlock stepped forward in proto form.

"Me Grimlock not care about numbers. Me Grimlock smash animal bots."

Grimlock assumed T-Rex form and charged right for the Predacons, all of which doing the same. A collision followed as Grimlock spewed his fire breath and burned Razorclaw, forcing the lion to back off and regroup. Razorclaw almost immediately reentered the fray as Grimlock fought off Rampage and Headstrong simultaneously. Grimlock slammed his tail into Headstrong and torched Rampage as his attempted to pounce on him. Then Tantrum charged and unlike Rampage, was able to pounce of Grimlock. He dug his teeth into the steel but it hardly registered to the T-Rex. Divebomb swooped in for the kill but Grimlock spun around, and the momentum sent Tantrum flying into the Divebomb.

Razorclaw charged in and stop short, growling ravenously at Grimlock and showing no fear. Grimlock growled back but that did little to intimidate the lion. Tantrum and Headstrong attempted to ambush Grimlock from behind but Grimlock felt them coming and knocked them back, giving Razorclaw a chance to strike. He swiped at Grimlock's giant leg, shredding bit of metal from it but again, Grimlock hardly reacted. Divebomb attacked Grimlock's face, scratching and clawing at it with his talon but Grimlock simply knocked him away. The other Predacons eventually backed off and Grimlock stood tall.

"Me Grimlock tired of fighting of puny animals. Me Grimlock want Predaking."

The Predacons roared and then began to transform and combined. Moments later, Predaking stood in their place and towered over Grimlock. "Predaking answers call."

Grimlock assumed proto form and unsheathed his sword and shield. "Me Grimlock say, bring it on."

Then Grimlock charged at Predaking, shield up front and sword dragging along the ground. Predaking put his massive arms up and blocked the initial assault. A test of brute strength ensued between the bestial machines, each of them pushing and shoving to gain some ground. They struggled against each other, scraping bits of metal away until they broke off. Grimlock charged with his sword overhead and he quickly brought it down on Predaking. The gestalt blocked the blow and then blocked another blow and another, each of them coming from different directions to keep his off balance.

Predaking saw a chance to strike back and went to drive his fist down onto Grimlock. Grimlock brought his shield up to block the attack while Predaking pounded away. Grimlock saw an opening then and slashed at the gestalt's steel plated abdomen, driving Predaking back but not stopping him. Emboldened, Grimlock charged again and swiped at Predaking with unbridled fury and Predaking did all he could to weather the storm until he found another opening. He pounded on the shield Grimlock held to defend himself until he managed to knock it free. That didn't stop Grimlock from continuing his assault as he kept on swiping and slashing at Predaking.

Watching from the sidelines, Sixshot was getting antsy and cocking his weapon. He wanted to jump into the fight badly, particularly at his turncoat brother Quickswitch. Conversely, Quickswitch didn't seem as eager to fight Sixshot. It wasn't out of cowardice since he had his own weapon deployed, but Quickswitch simply wasn't as violent as Sixshot and saw no reason to fight him. But if the need arose and all peaceful solutions failed, then Quickswitch would fight and need be, he'd kill Sixshot.

"What's the holdup? I wanna kill some Autobots." Sixshot snarled.

"You'll wait until I say otherwise, Sixshot," Galvatron snarled back. "Let Predaking finish his little game."

"But…"

"BUT NOTHING!"

Sixshot grew even more eager to fight when Skyquake approached him. "Why wait for the order, Sixshot," he whispered. "Quickswitch is right there, waiting to be sent to Gun Metal Grave. I wouldn't disappoint him."

Listening to Skyquake and glancing at Quickswitch, Sixshot finally said, "Screw this!"

Sixshot bolted right into the battlefield, viciously plowing right through Predaking and Grimlock and going right for Quickswitch. Seeing that now was the time, Quickswitch charged into the field. They immediately came out guns blazing and quickly lighting the battlefield until they collided with each other. The force was so intense that it shook the field. Quickswitch and Sixshot grappled in a wild frenzy of sparks and metal clanging on metal, and each move inched them closer to the edge of the field. They soon tumbled off the field and out of sight.

There was a brief pause before everyone heard the sounds of engines coming from below. Quickswitch flew into view in jet form followed closely by Sixshot in his spaceship form. They rocketed into the sky above Iacon as fast as their engines would carry them and then paused and transformed. They were face to face, weapons deployed and hovering, waiting for one or the other to make the next move.

"We don't have to do this, Sixshot." Quickswitch said.

"That's where you're wrong, Quickswitch," Sixshot retorted. "Look at us. Look at them," he pointed down at the Autobots and Decepticons, and at the still brawling Predaking and Grimlock. "We were made to fight, to destroy. At the end of the cycle, war is all we'll ever know. It's in our circuits."

"And if you kill every last Autobot, then what? You kill the Decepticons too," Quickswitch stated. "Killing won't bring you peace."

"Huh," Sixshot chuckled. "Peace was never an option."

Quickswitch knew right then that there was no going back. "So be it."

Quickswitch fired the first shot, which Sixshot swooped over to avoid. He fired a shot back at Quickswitch, who managed to dodge the blast and fire back. Sixshot dodged and switched to winged wolf form, attempting a direct attack. Quickswitch assumed his puma form and pounced. Both animals collided and started clawing at each other before backing off. They regrouped and attacked again with the same result.

They transformed at the same time, with Quickswitch assuming laser pistol form and Sixshot back into spaceship form. Sixshot flew circles around Quickswitch as he fired away at him and mostly missed. Sixshot returned to animal form and tried to pounce, but Quickswitch transformed to jet form and rocketed right at Sixshot. The jet slammed into the winged wolf, transformed back into laser pistol form and opened fire. Sixshot transformed back to spacecraft mode and jetted away, turned and jetted right for Quickswitch, who returned to proto form. Returning to proto form at the last second, Sixshot collided with Quickswitch and rather switch to another form, simply punched his brother in the face.

Quickswitch answered with a blow of his own, knocking Sixshot back. Sixshot answered with another blow to the face and a blow to the chassis, while Quickswitch responded with a small series of blows to the sides. It soon became a brutal battle of attrition, two brothers on opposite sides brawling to determine who was right.

Down in Iacon, the Autobots and Decepticons were watching in awe. Except Galvatron; he leered at Skyquake knowing he convinced Sixshot to disobey his orders. Galvatron was growing tired of Skyquake continually trying to undermine his authority. He'd deal with him soon enough. The Autobots were right there, waiting to be maimed. Galvatron would oblige them.

He shouted, "Decepticons: kill them all!"

* * *

><p>Author's note: That's another chapter in the books and it's getting serious now. The big brutes kick starting the fight is really just a precursor of things to come. BIG things.<p>

Skyquake continues to be a pain in the ass for Galvatron, although with a shade o' subtlety, and the Six-Changers are slugging it out. Note the line debate between them harkens from X-Men: First Class. It kind of worked here, I'm just saying.

So tell me, how am I doing so far Be honest!


	20. Alpha Q's Master Plan

Disclaimer: Before I get started with this latest entry, I'd like to announce that I have two stories in the planning stages but I haven't decided which I should work on first. I can't say any more than that other than I will start immediately after this one is finished.

I do like the reviews I've been receiving from time to time. Keep 'em coming and just remember that I don't own the rights to Transformers.

* * *

><p>Chapter XX<p>

Location: Cybertron  
>Iacon Hall of Records<p>

Galvatron fired the first shot from his main cannon, blasting Grimlock clear from the battle field and right over the Autobots. The momentum sent Grimlock flying into the outer wall of the Hall of Records. He was left smoking and slightly charred but still functional. Then the other Decepticons opened fire on the Autobots. High above Iacon, Quickswitch and Sixshot were still engaged in a heated battle. They'd forgone the use of their various alt forms and simply took to pounding each other. Predaking began to advance on the Autobots before Grimlock charged back into the fray and tackled the much larger gestalt down.

"So Rodimus, what's the plan?" Springer sarcastically asked.

"We've got to keep them out of the Hall of Records." Rodimus Prime said.

Springer then asked, "Well, what's in the Hall and so important?"

Ultra Magnus hastily approached Springer and said, "We think Alpha Q is after the Covenant of Primus. He gets his tendrils and we're scrapped."

A small explosion rocked the Autobots without causing any damage. Elita One then added, "I thought the Covenant of Primus was just a legend."

"We thought the same thing about Unicron." Magnus pointed out.

"Good point," Elita One said before looking around. That was when she noted something was amiss. "Where's Blackarachnia?"

The other Autobots noticed that Blackarachnia was missing and Elita determined that the treacherous spider had abandoned them. They had no time to lament; Cyclonus and Scourge were airborne and shooting a firestorm down on the grounded Autobots. Springer, being the only flight capable Autobot in the group, transformed and took off while the other Autobots covered his ascent. Only Scourge went after him while Cyclonus continued to rain fire down on the rest of the Autobots. On the ground, Soundwave had released Rumble, Frenzy, Ratbat, Ravage and Laserbeak and Barricade transformed and raced toward the group. Elita One jumped out, transformed and raced right toward Barricade. When they came mere inches from each other, Elita transformed and leaped over Barricade and landed on top of him. Barricade instantly started weaving back and forth in an attempt to get rid of his unwanted passenger but Elita held on and tried steering him around.

"Get your skid plates off my finish, bitch!" Barricade shouted.

"Okay!" Elita said and jumped off.

Barricade was elated until he saw where he was heading; directly into Soundwave. "Oh scrap."

At the last second, Barricade managed to swerve to the right. He missed Soundwave entirely but the momentum carried him directly into Skyquake instead. Barricade transformed before colliding with the much larger Skyquake and they both tumbled into each other. Skyquake almost immediately was upright and slugged Barricade for his incompetence. Then Skyquake saw Galvatron glaring at him once more, although it more out of acknowledgement of Barricade's stupidity than mutual animosity. Galvatron's attention was diverted to the continued dual between Predaking and Grimlock.

Grimlock continued to bring the fight to Predaking with a nonstop barrage of blows coupled with sword slashes. Predaking kept on the defensive, blocking most of Grimlock's attacks while waiting the right time to strike. Then Grimlock missed a swipe and Predaking capitalized with a swift overhead blow. The blow rocked Grimlock, causing him to drop his sword, but that hardly slowed him down and he kept coming. He laid into Predaking with a relentless fury even as Predaking slugged him again on every occasion.

Meanwhile, Springer was locked in a dogfight with Scourge chasing him across the skyscrapers of Iacon. Scourge fired on Springer but couldn't get a lock since Springer was a surprisingly hard target to hit. Springer suddenly banked straight up and transformed before diving down straight at Scourge. They collided and plummeted back down toward the battlefield where they landed hard. Scourge seemed to have taking the worst of the fall since he hadn't transformed beforehand. Springer was upright and armed and tried to charge at Scourge before Cyclonus fired on him from above. Springer assumed hover car form and drove off.

The steel ground began to shake thanks to Rumble and Frenzy, while Ravage, Laserbeak and Ratbat further annoyed the Autobots. Kup took a few potshots at the animals but could only scarcely drive them off before they returned. Ravage centered his focus on Spike and lunged at him before Rodimus Prime blasted him away. Laserbeak and Ratbat struck by fluttering right in front of Rodimus Prime's face. Ultra Magnus hammered them away before turning his attention to Cyclonus, who assumed proto formed and deployed his dual swords.

"You and I, Ultra Magnus. Let us see which of us is the superior warrior." he declared.

Ultra Magnus twirled his hammer once and said, "Have it your way, Cyclonus."

Cyclonus charged directly toward Ultra Magnus with his swords spread to each side while Ultra Magnus stood his ground. Bringing his swords up, Cyclonus struck first with an overhead swipe. Magnus brought his hammer up to block the blow and they grappled, sparks shooting from their weapons. They broke off before Cyclonus charged again while going for a wild slash with his right hand sword. Magnus ducked it while blocking the left hand sword before taking his own swing with his hammer. Cyclonus blocked and tried another slash, meeting only more resistance.

Ultra Magnus went for an overhead swing, missing when Cyclonus launched himself back. Cyclonus launched himself forward and started slashing wildly at Ultra Magnus, who went on the defensive. Magnus took his own series of swings which Cyclonus blocked and dodged before going back on the attack. They went back and forth repeatedly with neither one holding an advantage for long until Cyclonus found an opening and knocked Magnus down. Cyclonus went for the killing blow but Magnus managed to block and push him off. Then Magnus went for a strike and managed to hit Cyclonus in the side. Backing away and checking his side, Cyclonus simply smiled. Ultra Magnus stayed focused as Cyclonus charged forward, this time using his thrusters for additional velocity. Magnus reared his hammer back and charged.

Meanwhile high above, Sixshot and Quickswitch continued their furious duel in the sky. They'd forgone the need to transform between blows and simply bashed, slammed and pounded each other mercilessly. They made use of their ranged and melee weapons as much as possible in the zero gravity environment. At the same time, they used their foot thrusters to launch themselves at one another hard and fast. As a result, the duel became a brutal battle of attrition. They went back and forth with ranged blast and heavy blows, and each received a degree of damage before backing off. Then they went right back on the attack before backing off again and reaching a stalemate.

"I don't want to fight you, brother." Quickswitch said.

"All evidence to the contrary," Sixshot retorted and pointed down toward Iacon. "Look at them; they were built for battle. It's all they know, all _we_ know. You can pretend to be an Autobot all you want, or you can come back to the Decepticons but either way, you'll always be a war machine."

"Sixshot, this is madness," Quickswitch shouted. "This is exactly what Alpha Q wanted; Autobot and Decepticon fighting each other until we're all dead."

"Who cares," Sixshot shouted back. "War is war. And in any war, you join the side that's gonna win."

Sixshot launched himself right at Quickswitch with his melee weapon held out to one side. Quickswitch blocked the coming blow and retaliated with one of his own, striking Sixshot in the faceplate. Sixshot attempted to strike back with his melee weapon but Quickswitch knocked it out of his hands and slugged him again. Quickswitch kept slugging Sixshot repeatedly in the face and chassis without giving Sixshot a chance to fight back. Sixshot found a way when he head butted Quickswitch in the face and then kneed him in the chassis. The last blow forced Quickswitch back.

Quickswitch recovered just in time to see Sixshot launching toward him, but with no time to block. Sixshot tackled Quickswitch and they grappled while pounding each other relentlessly. Just as quickly as they grappled, they broke off and Sixshot assumed spacecraft form and jetted down toward Iacon. Quickswitch assumed jet form and followed him. They swooped right above the battle between Grimlock and Predaking before jetting away.

The flyby distracted Predaking long enough for Grimlock to strike. He assumed T-Rex form and spewed his fire breath, scorching Predaking and forcing the gestalt to suddenly disengage into his form component. Then Predacons surrounded Grimlock and he fought them all off at the same time.

Ultra Magnus and Cyclonus continued their duel with a series of hammer strikes and sword slashes, most of which failed to land. Cyclonus made effective use of his agility while Ultra Magnus stood his ground, blocking most of Cyclonus' attacks. Magnus struck whenever he found an opening but Cyclonus evaded most of the blows. Scourge used the duel to his advantage in an attempt to ambush Ultra Magnus while he was distracted battling Cyclonus. Deploying a battle axe, Scourge waited for the right moment to strike when Springer came out of nowhere and took his down.

Springer deployed his sword and took the fight to Scourge with a quick series of slashes, forcing Scourge to go on defensive. Scourge tried several time to strike Springer with his axe but Springer was far too fast, dodging easily and striking back repeatedly. But Scourge had another idea when he glanced at Cyclonus and then, they collectively attacked Ultra Magnus and Springer with increased fury. Magnus and Springer were forced back to back, Springer facing Scourge and Magnus against Cyclonus.

"Any bright ideas?" Springer whispered to Magnus.

"Just one," Magnus whispered, and Springer quickly figured out his plan. Scourge and Cyclonus went to strike when Magnus shouted, "NOW!"

In a split second, Ultra Magnus and Springer switched positions and it was suddenly Springer fighting Cyclonus and Magnus on Scourge. Springer blocked Cyclonus' quick swipes while Magnus defended against Scourge's heavy swings. Cyclonus attempted to catch Springer off guard with an overhead slash followed by a quick swipe but Springer saw it coming. He dodged to one side to avoid the overhead slash and then duck the swipe. Cyclonus was too slow to stop Springer from slashing his knee and then Springer finished with a knee to his face, knocking Cyclonus down.

Scourge meanwhile ruthlessly attacked Ultra Magnus with his axe while Magnus swung his hammer. Their signature weapons were slower than those of Cyclonus and Springer but added considerable power. Thus, Scourge and Ultra Magnus threw in a series of blow heavy blows, many of which missed their mark but indentations in the steel ground. Scourge went form a big slash but Magnus blocked and literally brought his hammer down on top of the axe. Unable to budge his axe, Scourge glanced at Magnus, who smiled at him before punching him directly in the face, knocking him down and out.

Ultra Magnus and Springer had no time to celebrate when Barricade raced right at them. He had Rumble and Frenzy riding him and shooting at Ultra Magnus and Springer, who managed to duck out of the way. Soundwave ambushed Magnus and took him down while Barricade drove circles around Springer, with Rumble and Frenzy taking potshots. Springer tried to use a move he once saw Optimus Prime use on Barricade by cutting his wheels out from under him. Barricade saw it coming and transformed, flipped over Springer and knocked him down.

"I'm not falling for the trick twice." Barricade said triumphantly.

"You sure about that?"

Barricade turned to see Elita One roaring right at him. She transformed and leaped into the air before coming back down and kicking Barricade backward and into Soundwave, Rumble and Frenzy, effectively saving Magnus. Laserbeak and Ratbat came out of nowhere and started peppering the three Autobots with laser fire, forcing them to fall back.

In all the chaos, Rodimus Prime noticed something. Across the battlefield, Galvatron and Skyquake hadn't made a move either to join the battle or get into the Hall. Arcee and Kup noticed the same thing but like Rodimus couldn't put their fingers on why Galvatron and Skyquake didn't move.

"What're they waiting for, Rodimus?" Arcee asked.

"Maybe they're scared," Kup said. "Or maybe not."

"No," Rodimus concluded. "Galvatron may be a psychopath but he's not stupid. It's Skyquake I'm worried about."

On the other end of the battlefield, Galvatron was piercing a glare at Rodimus Prime. He flashed back to the moment when they battled inside Unicron, when the then-smaller Autobot opened the Matrix to become who he was now. Galvatron recalled falling through flames and steel before tumbling aimlessly through space. Before that, that Autobot tried to save him. Galvatron's optics glowed crimson at the thought. It angered him; not the knowledge of Rodimus Prime not saving him, but the knowledge that he tried. Arrogance, Galvatron thought of it.

Galvatron started walking down toward the battlefield. "Rodimus," he shouted out. "You owe me a rematch."

Rodimus Prime heard the challenge and rose up. "Somehow, I knew that was coming," he said before turning to Kup and Arcee. "You two help the others any way you can, but do whatever it takes to keep the 'Cons out of the Hall."

"Rodimus, what about me?" Spike said.

"Sorry, Spike. You've got to sit this one out." Rodimus said.

"But I can help you."

"I know, but I won't risk your safety," Rodimus Prime said. "I gave Daniel and Carly my word that I'd bring you home. I honor my word."

With that, Rodimus Prime started on his way into the battlefield, as did Galvatron. Alone in the background, Skyquake continued to watch and anticipate the coming collision between the two leaders. It was going to be fun to watch. What started as a slow walk from both end became a steady jaunt by both Rodimus and Galvatron before becoming quick sprint. Then they rushed each other with matching speed, ignoring the chaos around them while closing the distance. They reared their fists all the way back, screaming the whole way. Then in one swift motion, they threw their respective first punch at the exact same time into each other's face.

The impact of each blow sent Rodimus and Galvatron skidding back, where both felt the immediate effects. Shaking off the blow, Galvatron saw Rodimus Prime rushing him again and quickly opened fire on him as he came. Rodimus Prime dodged side to side between each blast while firing his own blast and then transformed to vehicle form and raced right at Galvatron. Galvatron launched into the air to dodge the flame color truck and let it drive beneath him and landing behind it. He assumed cannon form and fired at the truck. The truck turned around and started barreling toward the cannon.

Rodimus Prime transformed and quickly opened fire on Galvatron and forced him into proto form. Galvatron rolled to the side and fired at the ground in front of Rodimus Prime before switching to spacecraft form and jetting forward. Rodimus Prime ducked under as Galvatron soared overhead, and then fired on him as he took off toward the stars and then rocketed back toward Iacon. Galvatron opened fire on Rodimus Prime, who fired back at the same time but had to duck when Galvatron flew overhead. Galvatron transformed, landed and drew his sword.

Rodimus Prime deployed a new melee weapon, a right forearm blade. Galvatron simply smirked at the small blade versus his sword and charged. Just as Rodimus Prime wanted! Once Galvatron was in range, Rodimus deployed a second forearm blade and block the initial attack from Galvatron before slashing him across the chassis. Galvatron backed off after being caught off guard, examining the new gash across his insignia. He glared at Rodimus Prime and smirked.

"You're full of surprises, aren't you?" he spat.

"You have no idea!" Rodimus spat back. He then braced himself as Galvatron charged him once more.

* * *

><p>On the Quintesson vessel, Alpha Q watched the battle with great interest as well as glee. His plan was going perfectly so far with the Autobots and Decepticons fighting each other. Plus his mole was acting accordingly, waiting for the right time to strike. With the Autobots and Decepticons out of the way, then Alpha Q could simply waltz into the Hall of Records and take the ultimate prize. With that, he brought up a holographic image of that which he sought. The image resembled a book or a document, but with digital streams across the cover. It was adorned with the insignia of Primus, the creator of the Cybertronian race; and the Quintessons thanks to Unicron's own dark influence. The Decepticon's secret called Alpha Q <em>Unicron's Spawn<em>. That suited him fine; it was quite true.

Alpha Q received an electronic call from the battlefield, from his mole. "Speak…"

"_Just calling to make sure you haven't forgotten our arrangement." _A familiar voice responded.

"Hmph, our deal is still in play, Skyquake," Alpha Q said, revealing his mole at the same time. "As long as you live up to your end of the bargain, the Covenant of Primus will be mine and total rule of Cybertron will be yours."

"_One thing escapes me, Q,"_ Skyquake stated. _"Why do you want the Covenant so badly? What secrets does it hold? Tell me."_

Alpha q knew this was coming soon enough. "All in due time, Skyquake. You'll know all in due time."

"_If you're playing like you did Galvatron with that Matrix garbage, I'll beat you to death with your own tentacles. Just so we're clear." _Skyquake cut the call after that.

Alpha Q simply chuckled at the threat of Skyquake. He knew one thing above all else; Skyquake wouldn't get the chance once the Covenant with in Alpha Q possession. But Alpha Q was unaware that hiding in the shadows, Blitzwing and Fracture were eavesdropping on him and Skyquake. Alpha Q was still staring at the hologram of the Covenant, so he didn't see Blitzwing and Fracture appear behind him. When he turned around, Blitzwing kicked him to the floor and held him there.

"What are you…?"Alpha Q started to say when Blitzwing pressed down on him with his foot.

"You've been playing us from the beginning, you slimy piece of tin." Blitzwing snapped.

"Yeah, and Skyquake is working with you," Fracture added. "I should've known he couldn't be trusted."

"Why are you after the Covenant of Primus? Spill it, Quintesson!" Blitzwing snapped, but Alpha Q only laughed at the futility. Releasing the Quintesson, Blitzwing said, "We've gotta warn Galvatron."

"Are you serious, Blitzwing," Fracture said. "Galvatron's crazy. He won't listen to us."

"Then we'll make him listen, even if, and I can't believe I'm saying this…" Blitzwing said. "…If we gotta join the Autobots."

Blitzwing and Fracture rushed to join the battle outside, leaving Alpha Q to pick himself up. He chuckled and whispered, "Fools. It's already too late."

In the shadows, Starscream appeared once more, having listened to every word. _I don't think so, Unicron's Spawn._

* * *

><p>Author's note: The fighting continues and now Rodimus and Galvatron are in the fight. Fun fact, I wanted to make Quickswitch VS Sixshot battle something like you'd see from Mobile Suit Gundam. I don't think I did that but I'll let you be the judge(s).<p>

I wonder how they're doing on Earth. We'll find out next time, so don't forget to review.


	21. Hell Comes To Autobot City

Disclaimer: You're not going silent on me again, are you? Oh well, I'm used to that kind of thin anyway; I won't judge. Here's the next chapter of the story. Enjoy.

* * *

><p>Chapter XXI<p>

Location: Earth  
>Forty-four miles from Autobot City<p>

The United States Military quickly mobilized every available vehicle at their disposal, every tank and aircraft that could be spared. M1 Abrams tanks roared across the mountainous landscape while a squadron of F-22 Raptors soared above of sound breaking speed. AH-64 Apache helicopters hovered overhead and armed their weapons systems. Out off the West Coast, a fleet of battleships and destroyers converged on the scene with their guns fully loaded. Their target; Trypticon. The juggernaut rampaged across the Oregon landscape on route to Autobot City after laying waste to Autobot Headquarters, killing several Autobots in the process.

His presence alone put the US Military on high alert, especially considering that Sky Lynx and the Wreckers had yet to arrive. If nothing else, the Military could at least buy some time until then. Trypticon stomped his way across the landscape when the squadron of Raptors, codenamed _Echo_, arrived and flew overhead. The pilots in the cockpits got a very good, if frightening look at Trypticon, who didn't seem to notice them.

"Jesus, look at the size of that thing! How do we fight that?" said one of the pilots.

The lead pilot then said, "Cut the chatter, Echo Two. Echo Squadron, lock heat seekers and prepare to fire," Checking the targeting monitor, which showed an above view of Trypticon, the lead pilot then said, "Fire at will!"

The Raptors unleashed a stream of heat seekers, and every one of them struck Trypticon at varying points of his giant frame. Trypticon flinched as each missile struck him one by one while the Raptors jetted passed him. They fired another salvo of missile, striking Trypticon's massive back and tail. Trypticon let out a frightening roar that shook the landscape. Then the Apache helicopters released a string of sidewinders, striking the juggernaut's limbs. Then the Abrams tanks opened fire at the beast's legs while off the coast, the destroyers took aim and fired the main gun batteries. The Raptor came around and fired more heat seekers while the Apaches unleashed more sidewinders. Trypticon roared and flailed his massive frame around amid the barrage of artillery that seemed to be coming from all sides before he suddenly went still and the artillery strike ended.

One of the Apache pilots took a quick glance at the inert machine before saying, "I think we got him. Notify Autobot City and…" the pilot never got a chance to finish.

Trypticon awoke once more and simply swatted the Apache out of the sky before blowing one the Raptors apart. "Puny humans; none can stand against the might of Trypticon."

The rest of the airborne assault vehicles continued to assault Trypticon, who as ever barely seemed to flinch. The Abrams tanks blasted Trypticon repeatedly but could hard slow him down, and the destroyer fleet's main guns hardly registered to him at all. In fact, Trypticon merely laughed before swatting another Apache out of his way. The Raptors pulled back and regrouped and fired the rest of their heat seeker, but Trypticon showed surprising agility by ducking under them. Some impacted the far off hill while the rest turned around and came right back. Again, Trypticon ducked and let the missiles by and then, unfortunately for the Raptors, started locking on them.

The Raptors began to break formation as their own weapons went after them. In a matter of moments, most of the Raptors were blown to bits and only two Raptors remained intact. The Apache copters dispersed to either side and opened fire using their mounted machine guns. Trypticon again simply laughed before firing his giant energy beam at the copters. Several of them were vaporized in second before the others broke off. The Abrams tanks continued peppering Trypticon's legs and tail, only to then be smashed by said legs and tail.

Trypticon still had to contend with the destroyer fleet, whose relative distance seemed to put the juggernaut at a disadvantage. It seemed as such before Trypticon activated a set of shoulder mounted missile turrets and fired and few salvos. The missiles streaked toward the coast where the destroyer fleet was located and just before impact, split into smaller projectiles. The smaller sub missiles struck the fleet with force, quickly eradicating every ship in a flash of light and plumes of fire.

The remaining Raptors and Apaches, along with at least two remaining Abrams, continued the assault on Trypticon. It was all for naught as Trypticon decimated them just as he did Autobot Headquarters and then continued on his way to Autobot City.

* * *

><p>Cliffjumper, Tailgate, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe managed to reach the city long before Trypticon could. Outback, Wheeljack and Perceptor met them outside as they were assuming proto form, where Cliffjumper caught a glimpse of the Dinobots chewing on some charred cadavers. Whatever happened here, Cliffjumper didn't have a clue and quite frankly didn't care. Pipes joined the city-base Autobots, since he was tasked by Jazz to escort Daniel and Carly to the city for protection. Given the circumstances however, his efforts seemed moot at best.<p>

"Cliffjumper," said Perceptor. "What's the situation so far?"

"What do you think our situation is, Perceptor," Cliffjumper snapped. "We just got our collective tailpipes. Trypticon wasted our base and a lot of our brothers died. I hope you guys got a plan."

"We're waiting on Sky Lynx to bring the conversion cog." Wheeljack said.

"That's our plan; sit and wait for Captain Modesty to show up while Trypticon flays the city?" Sunstreaker rambled.

"_Yo check the tube, Autobots,"_ Blaster called from the watch tower. _"Got a visual of the US Military takin' the fight to Robo-Gojira."_

From the tower, Blaster brought up a holographic image of Trypticon's rampage. All the Autobots saw was the devastated human military. "Sweet merciful Primus!" Perceptor said.

"You've got to be kidding me," Tailgate said and pointed. "Those humans never stood a chance."

Cliffjumper pressed his fingers to his head and asked, "Blaster, any word from Sky Lynx?"

"_I've been in radio contact with him. He says he's on his way with the Wreckers and Aerialbots. ETA: five cycles." _Blaster said.

"I don't think we'll be here in five cycles. Tell him to hustle it up." Cliffjumper shouted.

"What do we do in the mean time?" Tailgate asked.

"Let's just gather up the Dinobots and get ready," Cliffjumper said. "Trypticon is going to be right on top of us if we're not ready. Move it."

* * *

><p>Sky Lynx just entered Earth's atmosphere amid the freefalling and flaming debris of the EDC outpost. Inside his interior, the Wreckers and Aerialbots readied themselves for battle when he said, "I have a visual of Trypticon's movement since his arrival."<p>

A video formed and showed Trypticon's path of destruction that started at Yaquina Bay and continued from Autobot Headquarters, wiping out the Military along the way. "Oh my God." Marissa whispered and put her hands over her mouth.

"You're telling me that thing caused this kind of damage in that short a length of time?" Major Lennox wondered.

"Pretty much," Stratosphere said. "I've seen this kind of carnage before, on Cybertron. Trypticon was as vicious then as he is now."

"So what's the plan, Drift?" Roulette asked.

"We'll need to buy Blur time to get to the city and get the cog to Wheeljack and Perceptor. Breakaway and Tempest will provide escort for him," Drift explained. "The rest of us will engage Trypticon and provide a diversion while Wheeljack and Perceptor get the cog installed."

Depth Charge was checking an aerial map of the surrounding area and found something that interested him. "Drift, there's a river that runs into the Pacific Ocean that Trypticon hasn't passed yet. We're right over the ocean now, so if Sky Lynx drops me off, I can hit the water and catch him off guard."

"He's right, Drift," Roulette stated. "There's an arching cliff face coming from the river several clicks ahead of Trypticon. Depth Charge might grab some hang time if he hits it right."

Drift thought about it and said to Depth Charge, "Do it."

Depth Charge and approached the opening hatch, letting a heavy stream of wind blow into the interior. Bulkhead stepped in front of Marissa and Lennox to keep them from getting sucked out. Depth Charge didn't have such a problem as he looked down toward the ocean as it passed by below. He looked back at Marissa, who returned a wide-eyed, confused stare. Marissa knew a drop from the height Sky Lynx was flying was suicide for humans. For humans; Depth Charge was Cybertronian. He'd survive the freefall. Depth Charge gave a quick salute before jumping out and going into a swan dive.

The hatch closed before Marissa could stop the Wrecker who had started out not liking humans but had over time, had come to consider her a friend. Marissa did get a good look of Depth Charge's manic swan dive before he hit the water and vanished beneath the waves. She feared there was no way he could've survived, forgetting that Depth Charge was still alien to her. She looked at Bulkhead. He had a smile on his face, which told Marissa he knew something she didn't know.

"Bulkhead, what exactly does Depth Charge change into?" she asked.

Bulkhead chuckled and said, "You'll see."

Sky Lynx kept going toward Trypticon while beneath the ocean surface, near the bottom, Depth Charge floated down seemingly inert. His optics appeared dimmed, as though he'd just entered stasis lock. Then they glowed a bright shade of blue and his body began shifting and changing shape. Depth Charge raced back toward the surface even as he was transforming until he finally broke through in his alternate form of a high speed, stealth warship. Gunning his engine, Depth Charge started speeding toward the Oregon coast where intended to await the time to strike at Trypticon.

* * *

><p>Trypticon continued his advance and now he was only several clicks away from Autobot City, where the few Autobots present hastily prepared for the worst. But there really wasn't much that could be done since the city's original conversion cog was damage in the previous siege by the Decepticons. Only the automated gun turrets used on the invading SharkiconAllicon infantry remained intact and online. Now, Trypticon was in visual range of the city, and it was a view that Outback and Blaster fully absorbed from the communications tower.

"Well, that's one very, very large Decepticon." Blaster quipped.

"What was the name of that giant lizard from those Japanese films?" Outback asked aloud.

"Godzilla," Blaster answered. "Why?"

"I think we're gonna need him."

The city's defenses automatically started firing on Trypticon as came into view, striking him at varying point of his body. The most the attacks really did was slow Trypticon down but not stop him. He bellowed a piercing roar before firing his own armaments at the city. The Autobots present scattered as the missiles impacted the walls and sent fragments flying. Some of the debris nearly hit Cliffjumper and Wheeljack had they not ducked down beforehand, while Sunstreaker was pinned under more debris. Tailgate and Sideswipe managed to release Sunstreaker while Pipes tackled Perceptor from more falling debris.

The automated gun turrets kept firing on Trypticon, who merely laughed and launched another attack. This time, he managed to destroy one of the turrets. The turret blew apart and more debris rained down on the Autobots. A large piece was coming down on Perceptor and Pipes before it was suddenly melted into molten steel by the Dinobots. The two Autobots were showered by the hot led but were otherwise safe thanks to the Dinobots' timely assistance. Trypticon kept firing on the city, causing extensive damage at varying points to burst into flames or fall apart.

Desperation took over for the Autobots and, with Cliffjumper leading the way, the all transformed and raced toward Trypticon. Perceptor and Wheeljack stayed behind with the Dinobots while Cliffjumper, Pipes, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Tailgate attacked the giant Decepticon's feet. For what good it did, anyway. The Autobot's attacks barely registered to the juggernaut but he knew they were below him. It amused him before he fired his big laser straight down at them.

The laser hit the ground with the force of a meteorite and sent most of the Autobots flying in separate direction. Tailgate took the worst of it; he lay several meters near the city's border in a smoking, inert wreck and his optics dimmed. Trypticon fired another beam attack that carved a trail into the ground before the remaining Autobots retreated back toward the city.

On the way back, Cliffjumper contacted Blaster. "Blaster, where in the Pit is Sky Lynx?"

"_He's on his way, Cliff."_

"Tell him to stop jumping across the galaxy," Cliffjumper shouted. "We just lost Tailgate. We're getting slaughtered out here."

Trypticon destroyed two more gun turrets as the Autobots rolled back into the city before he prepared to fire his big laser again. His aim was careful and focused. One shot was all he needed but just as he was about to take that shot, he was blasted on from above. Trypticon fired his laser straight up toward the sky on impulse alone before more unexpected fire came down on him. Enraged, Trypticon looked up to where the attack came from and saw a human Space Shuttle appear from above, flanked by five smaller aircraft.

"Never fear, Autobots; you friendly neighborhood Sky Lynx is here to save the day."

Of the five Aerialbots, Fireflight quipped, "Ever the modest one, isn't he?"

"Cut the chatter, Fireflight," Silverbolt said. "We've got to lure Trypticon away from the city. Aerialbots, unite."

The Aerialbots began their merging process while Sky Lynx peppered Trypticon with laser fire, staying in constant movement the whole time. Then Breakaway and Tempest emerged from inside the Space Shuttle, accompanied by Marissa and Major Lennox inside their cockpits. The Aerialbots finished merging until only Superion hovered overhead and started attacking Trypticon, allowing Sky Lynx to break off his attack. Inside, the Wreckers were preparing to launch their attack.

"Okay, Blur. We're going to help Superion and Sky Lynx draw off Trypticon while you head for the city with the cog. Breakaway and Tempest will cover you like we discussed." Drift said.

"I-got-it-I-hear-you-I-know-the-drill-I-just-want-to-get-this-job-done-and-get-back-in-the-fight." Blur chattered.

Drift turned to his crew. "Bulkhead and Roulette, you'll flank Trypticon's left side while I flank his right side. Stratosphere and Airazor will take to the sky and attack the head."

"The sooner we're out of Sky Lynx, the better," Stratosphere said, who was sitting uncomfortably in a corner. "I don't do well in closed spaces."

"It's a wonder you ever fit inside the Axalon." Roulette quipped.

Drift pressed his finger his head and said, "Depth Charge, are you in position?"

"_In position; waiting on your signal." _Depth Charge confirmed from the coastline.

Superion continued to fly circles around Trypticon, firing shots mainly at the juggernaut's head and shoulder. Trypticon missed a wild swipe that Superion easily dodged but he still laughed at the gestalt. Breakaway and Tempest fired a stream of missiles that struck the back of Trypticon. The constant attack from the new arrival did little more anger the titan, but the plan of luring him away from the city was starting to work. Superion kept up his relentless assault along with Breakaway and Tempest while Sky Lynx stayed out of the fight until the Wreckers were ready to disembark.

Drift watch from within Sky Lynx, waiting for the right moment. He held his arm up, fist clenched, as a means to keep the Wreckers from jumping the gun. When the moment finally came, Drift gave the signal. One by one, the Wreckers jumped from Sky Lynx like human paratroopers. Airazor and Stratosphere were the first one out, both assuming their aerial alt forms and joining the fight. Blur went out next followed by Bulkhead. Roulette and Drift were the last ones out as they dived toward the ground just a couple meters away from Trypticon. Blur hit the ground running at first with the cog before assuming alt form, while Breakaway and Tempest jetted off with him to the city.

The ground-base Wreckers began transforming mid-fall and hit the ground rolling. Drift took the lead followed by Roulette while Bulkhead, the slowest overall, took up the rear. Stratosphere and Airazor took the fight Trypticon straight out of the gate and attacked his head and shoulders while Superion and Sky Lynx focused on his back. Trypticon wasn't about to go down without a fight and fired a stream of missile coupled with lasers. Superion, Sky Lynx and Airazor managed to avoid the laser and most of the missiles but Stratosphere took a pounding. The missiles detonated around him, leaving him burned but still flying. In fact, the largest of Wreckers proved to be surprisingly agile when the big laser missed him completely.

On the ground, Drift, Bulkhead and Roulette flanked Trypticon on each as planned. Bulkhead and Roulette transformed and blasted the juggernaut's legs, aiming at a specific point of his armor. Drift raced in toward the leg, transformed and literally dug his katana swords into Trypticon's armor. Using one sword to cling to the armor, Drift started hacking away at it and chipped off piece after piece. Bulkhead and Roulette continued firing at the other leg, leaving a huge scorch mark where they were firing. All of this was still only barely registering to Trypticon and at the same time, he was becoming increasingly annoyed by the Autobot pests.

Meanwhile, Blur arrived at the city with Tempest and Breakaway where Perceptor and Wheeljack were waiting. "Blur, did you bring the cog? Is it safe?" Perceptor asked.

Blur transformed and tossed the cog to Wheeljack before telling Perceptor, "Of-course-it's-safe-what-did-you-expect-Perceptor-I-had-to-dodge-Decepticons-giant-space-bugs-personal-grief-to-get-the-cog-to-Earth-you're-welcome-by-the-way…"

"Okay, Blur. We get it," Tempest said. "Where're Daniel and Carly?"

"Their hold in an underground bunker. The rest of the Autobots are headed there now," Wheeljack stated. "You better get down there while Perceptor and I get the cog installed."

"No-problem-whatsoever-you-don't-have-to-tell-me-twice." Blur chattered.

"Slag that, I'm going back to help the Wreckers." Breakaway declared before he started to make a move.

Tempest seemed hesitant before saying, "You're not going alone."

"Damn right," Marissa said and walked up to Tempest. "You never when a human might come in handy." Tempest smiled before transforming back to alt form. Marissa climbed into the cockpit and looked down at Major Lennox. "Coming, Will?"

Lennox looked at Marissa, then at Breakaway and back at Marissa. Then he saluted and declared, "Major William Lennox, reporting for duty, ma'am."

Breakaway shrugged and assumed alt form, allowing Lennox to climb into the cockpit. Gunning their engines, Tempest and Breakaway took off into the air to rejoin the fight with Superion, Sky Lynx and the Wreckers. Perceptor and Wheeljack glanced at each other before starting on their way into the depths of the city. Hopefully, they could get the cog installed before Trypticon could level everything in sight. The Wreckers, Superion, Sky Lynx and Breakaway and Tempest would have to hold out. They had to.

* * *

><p>Author's note: I'm going to stop right there for now and pick this up next chapter.<p>

The addition of the US Military was necessary to show that Trypticon was a very serious threat not just to the Autobots but to Earth as well. At least the Wreckers, Superion and Sky Lynx are here to level the playing field, until you-know-who finally arrives.

Speaking of the Wreckers, Depth Charge's alternate form was really a pain in the ass to work on. It actually based somewhat a Littoral Combat ship (Freedom class) with high speed capabilities. You're your heart, Michael Bay!)

Depth Charge has another trick up his, uh, sleeve or fin or… whatever.

I'll be back with the next entry in the meantime so stay tuned.


	22. Changing of The Guard

Disclaimer: I guess one review is better than none. Either way, we're moving on with the story. Here's the next chapter bringing us back to Cybertron. Enjoy.

* * *

><p>Chapter XXII<p>

Cybertron  
>Iacon Hall of Records<p>

Rodimus Prime slammed back first down onto the steel ground with Galvatron about to bear down on him. Galvatron charged with his sword raised over his head and went for a swipe, but Rodimus Prime managed to block the blow with his arm blades. Sparks flew from the blades as Rodimus pushed himself upright and faced Galvatron. Then he broke free and they went into a slashing frenzy, moving at a frenetic pace that could almost rival the duel that ended the lives of Megatron and Optimus Prime. Every blow they had attempted more or less failed to land even a glancing blow. They seemed even matched. That was until Rodimus Prime knocked the sword from Galvatron's hands and attempted a quick thrust. Galvatron caught Rodimus Prime arm, spun him around and then landed a sudden punch to the face.

The blow left Rodimus staggering back before he righted himself, just in time to spot Galvatron already in mid-transformation to his spacecraft form. Galvatron, still in mid-transformation, jetted right over Rodimus and away before turning back around. Rodimus deployed his firearms and took his shot, most of which failed to strike Galvatron as he came. One shot caught Galvatron on the underside and forced him back into proto form, but he still made use of his flight abilities. From above he fired down on Rodimus Prime, who stood his ground and fired back. Then Galvatron dove in and tackled Rodimus Prime down, just as Megatron had done to Optimus so long ago.

They fell into a grappling roll across the battlefield until they suddenly stopped, and Rodimus used the momentum to throw Galvatron off of him. Galvatron righted himself and fired on Rodimus before charging toward him. Rodimus did the same and each of them fired at the other as they closed. Then as soon as they were within arm's reach, they threw the hardest punch they could manage. The force knocked them back to where they reached a stalemate and they smirked at each other. Then they charged again.

Elsewhere within Iacon, Quickswitch and Sixshot were engaged in a dogfight through the ruined city skyscrapers. Both were alt form, making it a bit easier to maneuver passed the burned out structure of the war torn city. At least Quickswitch made some effort to avoid collided with said structures. Sixshot made no effort at all, preferring to literally shoot his way through in his pursuit of his wayward brother. Quickswitch suddenly assumed proto form, turned his body around and fired at Sixshot as he was coming right at him. Then, just as Sixshot was within reach, Quickswitch leapt right over him, returned to jet form and rocketed away. Sixshot assumed proto form as he stopped dead and then opened fire on Quickswitch as he yawed left and out of sight.

"Where're you runnin'?" Sixshot bellowed before assuming spacecraft form and jetting after Quickswitch.

Sixshot got about halfway to where Quickswitch vanished Quickswitch suddenly reappeared from under him. The momentum carried the two of them all the way back up to where the main battle was still underway, and they hit the field hard. They returned to proto form, deployed their melee weapons and carried on with their duel.

Across from Quickswitch and Sixshot, Grimlock was still taking the fight to the five Predacons singlehandedly. He managed to beat back both Rampage and Headstrong with his tail while nearly torching Divebomb out of the air. Razorclaw and Tantrum waited for their moment to strike, which came when Grimlock briefly turned his back to them. Then they pounced. Grimlock felt it coming, turned around and torched the lion and jackal and forcing them to back off. But it opened the door (so to speak) for Divebomb to swoop in take a few potshots on Grimlock. Grimlock attempted to torch the eagle and missed, but at the same time managed beat back Headstrong. Rampage pounced on the T-Rex's back and bit into the still, causing Grimlock to roar in agony and rage.

Razorclaw, Headstrong and Tantrum went to attack but Grimlock tossed Rampage on top of them. The Predacons regrouped once Divebomb rejoined them and they once again merged into Predaking. Grimlock roared and assumed proto form, deploying his sword and shield in preparation for round two.

Ultra Magnus and Springer continued to slug it out with Cyclonus and Scourge while Elita One and Arcee dealt with Barricade and Kup was busy holding back Soundwave and his miniature cronies. As all this was happening, Skyquake continued to simply stand by and watch almost completely disinterested, except for while Rodimus Prime and Galvatron were still fighting. On the battlefield, Galvatron more than once glanced at Skyquake, not knowing why he was so oddly reserved and not really caring either.

His latest glance nearly cost him when Rodimus Prime slugged him in the steel jaw, knocking him down. Rodimus quickly deployed his arm blades and charged before Galvatron kicked him away and then leaped to his feet. Deployed his sword, Galvatron charged and attacked Rodimus Prime with swift series of slashes, some Rodimus was barely able to block, others he had to avoid. But then Galvatron scored a hit, albeit a minor glancing blow. It forced Rodimus back a few steps and he held his arm. Galvatron stood his ground and smirked when he saw the damage done; Rodimus's right arm was leaking fluid.

"Painful, Rodimus? I hope so, but I don't think you know the meaning of the word." Galvatron said before charging Rodimus again with an overhead slash.

Rodimus put his left arm blade up to block the attack, while Galvatron went all out against the wounded Autobot. Rodimus Prime was forced to go on the defense as Galvatron continued the relentless assault. He didn't let up for even a moment and kept Rodimus on the defensive, and unfortunately for Rodimus, none of the other Autobots could help since they had their own problem. He weathered the storm until Galvatron unknowingly slipped up and then capitalized. Rodimus went for a wide swipe with his left arm blade, missing but then catching Galvatron across the chassis. Galvatron backed off and checked the wound, which was leaking fluid like Rodimus's wound.

"Wow," Rodimus quipped. "That looked like it hurt."

Galvatron seethed at the show of arrogance coming from Rodimus Prime and charged once more. His next move was an aggressive overhead slice that Rodimus Prime quickly blocked. Rodimus blocked another slash and another from the enraged Galvatron, waiting for a chance to strike back. Then he found an opening and went for a quick swipe across that Galvatron barely managed to block. Galvatron blocked another swipe and returned with a wide slash which Rodimus ducked under. Then Rodimus blocked an oncoming swiped from his right side.

The duel continued at the same frantic pace as it had since the start, with neither Rodimus Prime nor Galvatron holding the advantage for long. Skyquake continued to watch with only vague interest. But at some point in this fight, he'd have to step in. The thought crossed his mind more than he'd liked, to assist Galvatron in destroying Rodimus Prime. But he simply stood back and watched as Galvatron and Rodimus dueled.

Skyquake wasn't the only one watching. Emerging from the Quintesson vessel in his ethereal form, Starscream saw Galvatron in battle against an Autobot he barely knew. Oh, how he longed to avenge his termination by his former leader. Starscream gazed at Skyquake, who was unaware of his presence. Perfect. Starscream could use Skyquake to do away with Galvatron and then do away with the Autobots. Then no one would stop him from controlling the galaxy. Starscream began to make his move when he heard a loud boom coming from the ship. He vanished just as Skyquake turned. Blitzwing and Fracture shot out of the ship and headed right for Galvatron.

Galvatron and Rodimus Prime were still battling it out until Galvatron managed to knock Rodimus down. He pinned the Autobot down with the tip of his sword. "This is what should've happened last time, Rodimus; me standing over you, victorious, just as Megatron did Optimus."

"As I recall, Optimus beat Megatron," Rodimus Prime said. "And you're _not _Megatron."

Galvatron raised his sword and sneered, "You have no idea who _I_ am, Autobot punk."

Then Galvatron prepared to deliver the killing blow when Blitzwing slammed into the battlefield and shouted, "Galvatron, stop!"

"Stay out of this, Blitzwing!"

Blitzwing didn't flinch. "It's all a ruse, Galvatron. Alpha Q's behind this."

Galvatron pointed his sword right at Blitzwing. "I'm not interested in you incessant drabble. Stand back before I run you through."

"It's the truth, Galvatron," Fracture once she arrived. "Alpha Q's been using us to get the Covenant of Primus, since the very beginning and Skyquake is working with him." Fracture pointed up toward Skyquake.

Galvatron took his sword in left arm and pointed the tip at Fracture, while aiming his particle cannon at Blitzwing. He also pressed the heel of his foot on Rodimus Prime's chassis. "You're all just trying to undermine me. You think I was manufactured yesterday?"

"You really want me to answer that?" Rodimus Prime quipped.

Meanwhile, Grimlock was still battling Predaking with every ounce of his being, and taking a pounding for his efforts. Despite the clubbing blows he'd taken, Grimlock just kept coming back for more and in doing so, infuriating the larger combiner into attacking that much harder. Grimlock used his shield to block some of the assault and struck back with his sword as much as he could. Then Predaking knocked the shield from Grimlock's hand before clubbing him with a heavy blow to the head. Grimlock staggered back before retaliating with sudden swipe of his sword. The sword took a small bit the gestalt's armor but wasn't enough to stop Predaking. Grimlock managed to shred bits of armor from Predaking's arm before Predaking knocked Grimlock's sword away.

Then the real pounding began. Predaking started pummeling Grimlock relentlessly without pause. Grimlock fought back with mostly body shots that barely registered to Predaking. The bigger and stronger combiner kept at it with vicious blows to every part of Grimlock's body. Eventually, Grimlock was thrown down hard where Predaking stomped on him. Predaking kept Grimlock pinned down with his heel.

"Stupid Autobot," the gestalt said. "None can stand against Predaking."

Predaking deployed his main weapon and prepared to finish off Grimlock. Elita One noticed this while she and Arcee were still dealing with Barricade. While Arcee dealt with the cowardly Decepticon, Elita broke away and ran straight for Predaking. There was no way she could possibly deal with the combiner. It was suicide and she knew it, but that didn't stop her. As soon as she was within range, Elita opened fire on Predaking. Predaking immediately turned his attention to Elita and started stalking her. Grimlock attempted to intervene but Predaking simply kicked him down. Elita took several potshots at Predaking but they didn't even slow him down. Predaking was within arm's reach of Elita, ready to strike when something happened that neither of them expected.

A glowing net of blue hued webbing dropped right on top of Predaking and then shocked him, staggering the big robot. He suddenly and rapidly disengaged into the five Predacons and they fell on top of each other. They fought, scratched and clawed uncontrollably at each other while Elita looked on in total confusion. Then she looked to see Blackarachnia in spider form descending from above and touching down. The Predacons were still fighting amongst themselves when Blackarachnia let out a deafening scream/hiss like a banshee. The scream caused the Predacons to stop fighting and look directly at the Black Widow spider in front of them. They didn't move a servo as Blackarachnia assume proto form and glanced at Elita One. Elita aimed her weapon at her former friend. Blackarachnia simply smiled.

"You miss me, Elita?" she said.

Elita glanced at the Predacons, who appeared docile. "You can control them?"

"What'd you expect? Their animals; just like me," Blackarachnia stated. "Here's an example…"

Blackarachnia turned to the Predacons and screamed that piercing shriek and the Predacons responded with an ensemble of roars. Elita One feared Blackarachnia was going to turn the Predacons on her. Instead, the Predacons stampeded right by her and toward Arcee and Barricade. Barricade had Arcee down and out and was about to finish her off when he saw the five animals surrounding him. Razorclaw and Ramage reared back ready to pounce. Headstrong stood up on his hind legs, towering over the seething Tantrum, and Divebomb hovered above ready to strike. Barricade wasn't sure what to make of it, but Arcee was wise to it all and took advantage when she kicked Barricade down. Then she got clear, carefully to avoid getting ripped apart. The Predacons didn't respond to her, instead they remained completely fixed on Barricade. Then it sunk in.

"Oh scrap!"

Then the Predacons pounced. Barricade frantically used his natural agility to avoid the five beasts but they were just as quick as the lone Decepticon. Barricade ducked, dodged and weaved in between rabid strikes by Razorclaw, Rampage and Tantrum. He avoided falling into the grip of Headstrong and dodged repeated flybys by Divebomb. Barricade started smiling over the fact that the Predacons couldn't seem to catch him. That smile vanished fast once they merged into Predaking.

"GIVE ME YOUR FACE!"

Barricade screamed out like a female Transformer, transformed and raced away, driving right by Cyclonus and Scourge. "Where are you going, coward?" Scourge shouted.

"Screw you, Scourge," Barricade shouted back. "It's every 'Con for himself."

Scourge and Cyclonus turned right around to see Predaking barreling right on them without pause. They quickly fired on the gestalt while Predaking lumbered right by Ultra Magnus and Springer. Both Autobots looked on in utter confusion. They had their respective weapons on hand in the event Predaking turned on them. But that didn't happen; Predaking attacked Scourge first with a vicious backhand that sent the Sweep flying. Cyclonus took the fight to Predaking with his duel swords and started slashing wildly. Predaking blocked every slash and took hold of Cyclonus. He started squeezing before Cyclonus drove one of his swords into the armor, forcing Predaking to release him. Scourge came back in alt form and fired on Predaking.

Predaking bellowed and did something unexpected when he took flight. Scourge banked right just before Predaking could catch him. Cyclonus transformed and took off to try and fight off the rampage combiner. It was all for naught when Predaking simply swatted both Decepticons away. Then he turned his attention to Soundwave and his minions.

Kup was being utterly swarmed by Rumble, Frenzy, Laserbeak, Ravage and Ratbat. Soundwave was preparing to strike the final blow when Predaking suddenly rushed right for him. Soundwave fired on Predaking as he came. Predaking caught him and threw him against the outer walls on the Hall of Records. The five cassette Decepticons rushed the giant combiner and attempted to attack. Laserbeak and Ratbat attacked from up high, while Ravage, Frenzy and Rumble attacked from below. All they really managed to accomplish was anger Predaking. He raised his foot and went to stomp the three minicons. Ravage leaped clear at the last moment, but Rumble and Frenzy weren't so fortunate. The disappeared under the massive gestalt's foot and when they reappeared, there was nothing left of either of them.

Kup regrouped with Arcee, Springer and Ultra Magnus. "Anyone care to explain what just happened?"

"I was hoping you had an idea." Springer quipped.

Elita One quickly approached the Autobots with Blackarachnia and Grimlock following. "If you're looking for answers, ask her."

"It seems I can control the Predacons at will, since I'm technically an animal," Blackarachnia explained. "What can I say; I'm a charmer."

The Autobots heard a loud boom from above. Quickswitch and Sixshot still battling it out until Sixshot scored a direct hit on his brother. The blow sent Quickswitch into freefall and based on the trajectory, he was falling directly toward the Autobots. They scattered, going in multiple direction before Quickswitch impacted the spot where they stood. The impact took its toll on Quickswitch, who lay crumpled in a heap, leaking fluid and sparking from gashed armor points but alive. Barely. Sixshot landed on his feet right beside his wounded brother and aimed his big gun down on him.

"You were always the weak link, brother. I guess that's why you joined with Autobots." Sixshot said.

"Think whatever you want, brother. I don't care," Quickswitch said with a glare. "Just finish it."

Sixshot cocked his gun and prepped to open fire on Quickswitch. It would be quick and painless. But then Sixshot had his attention diverted to the enraged Predaking, who had just turned his ire to the Six-Changer. Predaking roared and charge at Sixshot, who opened fired on the gestalt. The shots caught Predaking and some point of his hulking form and at slowed him down but they didn't stop his advance. Sixshot assume spacecraft form and took off with Predaking. While Sixshot was dealing with Predaking, Quickswitch began to stir. He was heavily damaged and tried to transform. He couldn't; the fall had to have damaged his conversion cog but kept trying. Each try was met with failure and Quickswitch grew frustrated. He looked across the battlefield and Galvatron, still holding Rodimus Prime at bay, and now Blitzwing and Fracture were involved.

In the midst of it, Rodimus Prime was still trying to move but Galvatron kept him pinned, and Blitzwing and Fracture were kept out of reach. "Well, I'm waiting," Galvatron said. "Who amongst you will make the next move?"

"Dammit, Galvatron," Blitzwing cursed. "Alpha Q and Skyquake are playing you. Don't you get it?"

"What I get is that it seems everyone want me destroyed so they can take my place as leader of my Decepticons," Galvatron snarled. "Starscream and then Skyquake, I'd expect that of them, but you, Blitzwing and Fracture. You two couldn't lead a parade, much less an army."

"We're not trying to usurp you, Galvatron," Fracture shouted. "It's all Alpha Q's doing, and all he want is the Covenant of Primus."

"YOU'RE LYING!" Galvatron shouted and prepared to fire on Fracture.

That was the opening Rodimus Prime needed. He quickly tripped up Galvatron and took him down, using one foot to pin his cannon. Then he crossed his arm blades across Galvatron's neck while Blitzwing and Fracture took aim on him. "You're really are that deluded, aren't you," he snapped, his optic pulsating in a blue hue. "Everything Blitzwing and Fracture said was the truth, but you're too damn blinded by old hatreds to see it."

"Am I really so blind with rage? If so, I'm not the only one," Galvatron stated. "Look at you; you pretend to noble, so self-righteous. You want so badly to fill the void by your precious Optimus Prime, but deep down, you're just like me."

"This has nothing to do with me replacing Optimus, but it has everything to do with stopping Alpha Q," Rodimus Prime snapped. "There is a Covenant of Primus hidden away and if Alpha Q gets it, he might very well end up rewriting history. Think about that for one cycle…" Rodimus let it sink into Galvatron before finishing. "You say I don't know you really are, but I do. So if there's even a trace of the old Megatron left, you'll help me stop Alpha Q and Skyquake."

Galvatron had to admit it to himself; Rodimus Prime had never shown such aggression. He glanced at Blitzwing and Fracture, half-expecting them to fire on Rodimus Prime. But it was likely that they wouldn't either. Off in the distance, the badly wounded Quickswitch was desperately staggering toward the stalemate when he saw movement further off. It was Skyquake brandish his shotgun, ready and waiting for the right moment to make his move. Quickswitch knew he'd have to act fast if Skyquake were to try anything, which might be an issue given his injuries.

Rodimus Prime stepped back and to the shock of Galvatron, offered his hand. Galvatron's first impulse to open fire on Rodimus Prime, but something in his Spark told him the young Autobot was sincere. He was hesitant but ultimately accepted the gesture, allowing Rodimus Prime to pull him up to his feet. They stood face to face, not taking their optic off each other. Watching from the sideline, Skyquake knew the time was now. He leaped into the action and fired a round from his shot at the first unlucky victim, which turned out to be Fracture. She had no chance to avoid contact and sank her knees. Her optics flicked before dimming and her body slumped forward.

Skyquake then fired on Blitzwing, who managed to get clear, before turning his attention to Rodimus Prime and Galvatron. Both of them were knocked down by the blast that ended Fracture's life. Skyquake went right for Rodimus Prime, bypassing Galvatron since he intended to make his death a slow, painful one. Rodimus Prime; it would be quick. Hence, he set his shotgun to full power. Skyquake aimed his fully charged shotgun at Rodimus Prime and was about pull the trigger when Quickswitch stepped right in between them, pressing his chassis right into the barrel of the shotgun. Rodimus Prime ducked away from a giant light of fire and spark, and Quickswitch was completely vaporized. Nothing was left him. Rodimus looked on in utter shock, as did Galvatron.

In the momentary interim during his duel with Predaking, Sixshot felt his brother's Spark fade away. He looked back at the smoldering pit where Quickswitch stood, and Skyquake stood there checking his gun. Skyquake had exhausted the guns energy and it needed to recharge. Sixshot had no time to think when Predaking returned on the attack. Down below, Skyquake tossed the shotgun aside and examined the smoking ruin where Quickswitch once stood.

"Foolish martyr!" he callously said. Then he was suddenly rocked by a blast from Rodimus Prime.

"You want a fight, Skyquake," Rodimus Prime said. "I'll give you a fight."

* * *

><p>Author's note: This is where this chapter ends, which the deaths of Rumble, Frenzy, Fracture and Quickswitch. And, Skyquake finally gets his ass in the fight.<p>

Speaking of fighting, Blackarachnia returns and shows a special trick by taking control of the Predacons, since technically she's a Predacon. Know what I mean?

Finally, Quickswitch makes extremely brave sacrifice. It's just a question of what happens next. What about Starscream. He still appears to be playing the angles but will he become a factor or not? You'll have to keep reading and reviewing to find out.


	23. Scramble City

Disclaimer: It's getting serious now as we shift between Earth, Cybertron and back to Earth. Try to keep up.

Funny thing, in the last story I imagined Steve Jablonsky providing the score, but in this one, I'm imagining Alan Silvestri. Both are amazing composer but I'm leaning toward the latter. That's just me.

I still don't own the rights to Transformers like always.

* * *

><p>Chapter XXIII<p>

Earth: Oregon Mountains  
>Autobot City Limits<p>

The Wreckers continued their coordinated assault against Trypticon with Sky Lynx, Superion and the added help from Breakaway and Tempest. Stratosphere and Airazor took a relentless series of potshots on the leviathan-like Decepticon from above while Bulkhead and Roulette attacked the beast's massive legs. Drift was still clinging to the armor on his ascent, at times using his katana swords to hack away at the armor. Trypticon hardly paid attention to any of them and focused mainly on Sky Lynx and Superion, swinging his huge claws and missing the much smaller target. It allowed for Breakaway and Tempest to focus fire on his face. They were surprisingly more effective thanks to their human pilots, Marissa within Tempest and Major Lennox joining Breakaway. While the two Autobots focused on flying, the humans concentrated on the weapon systems.

Major Lennox fired two heat seekers toward Trypticon's optics, but they instead struck the long face of the beast. Marissa fired a stream of lasers, since Tempest had never taken an Earth-based alt form, but she was still effective regardless. Down below, Drift was still climbing Trypticon's right leg while Bulkhead and Roulette drove around the left, transforming and taking a few shots before driving off to regroup. Superion landed on Trypticon's back and pounded on it repeatedly as Sky Lynx led Airazor and Stratosphere in their aerial assault. This was all part of a two-part plan of attack; to distract Trypticon long enough for Perceptor and Wheeljack to get the conversion cog in place and to get Trypticon in position for Depth Charge to strike.

Drift stopped his climb and made contact with Wheeljack. "Wheeljack, what's the status on that cog?"

"_It's a bit more complicated to get into place, Drift,"_ Wheeljack responded. _"You think you can buy us more time?"_

"We can only buy so much. Hurry it up," Drift said before making contact now with Depth Charge. "Depth Charge, are you in position?"

"_In position and waiting on you!"_ Depth Charge responded.

"We've almost got Trypticon in place for the attack. Get ready."

Wheejack and Perceptor worked diligently to get the conversion cog in place with as much assistance from Blur and Outback as they could afford. The other Autobots worked to seal up the breaches left behind from Trypticon's initial attack. The Dinobots also provided assistance with Slag and Snarl welding wall panel together. Sludge, Quickstrike and Swoop assisted by pounding other panels into place. Through all the carnage, Daniel and Carly attempted to help in whatever capacity they might be most effective. Daniel periodically checked a view screen, which showed the Wreckers and others holding Trypticon. It gave him a feeling of Déjà Vu, when both the Autobots and Decepticons were battling Unicron to save their home planet. Now the Decepticons were attacking Autobot City and the Wreckers were fighting to protect it.

Carly saw Daniel's trepidation and approached him. "C'mon, Daniel. You don't need to see this."

"Yeah, I do," Daniel said. "What do we do if that cog doesn't work? Do we run? The Autobots can't hold that monster off forever."

"Don't think like that, Daniel. The Autobots won't give up. They won't let that thing win." Carly tried to reassure her son.

Daniel looked at his mother. "I wish Dad was here."

"Yeah, me too!"

* * *

><p>Cybertron<br>Iacon Hall of Records

Spike hadn't moved from his position since the Quintesson vessel arrived and the Decepticons poured out into the fray. There wasn't much he could do but watch along with the Autobots as Rodimus Prime battled Skyquake head to head. Most of the other Decepticons had abandoned the fight and retreated and by Spike's examination, only Skyquake, Sixshot and Galvatron remained. Sixshot was still fighting it out with Predaking, and Galvatron was… doing nothing. Spike couldn't tell but it seemed as though the leader of the Decepticons was frozen in place. Spike looked further off toward the Quintesson ship and saw Alpha Q emerging from inside. He was waiting for a chance to make his move.

Galvatron was paralyzed by indecision while Rodimus Prime and Skyquake fought it out. Hence, he failed to notice Alpha Q emerging from the ship. He too was focused on Rodimus Prime and Skyquake. Alpha Q saw the fight and smirked. With Rodimus Prime distracted and Galvatron seemingly demoralized, Alpha Q could just simply waltz, or hover, into the Hall of Records and capture the Covenant of Primus.

Meanwhile, Sixshot was literally fighting for his existence against the perpetually enraged Predaking after the latter suddenly turned on the Decepticons. They were never truly Decepticons anyway, were the Predacons. Sixshot used a combination of ranged blasted coupled with melee assaults to try to whittle away at Predaking, but Predaking used his sheer, unmitigated brute force to quell the efforts of the Six-Changer. When his initial battle planned fail, Sixshot assumed his winged wolf form and pounced on Predaking fast.

In this form, Sixshot was much faster than normal since Predaking was still one combiner. No way he could keep up with the Six-Changer! But Predaking not only kept up with Sixshot; he out maneuvered him and knocked him out of the sky and right back down to the battlefield. Sixshot assumed spacecraft form while in freefall and launched back up, shooting away at Predaking as he climbed. Predaking didn't budge but shielded himself with his arms before going right into a nosedive toward Sixshot. They came close and zipped by each other by inches before Sixshot rocketed upward. He transformed into proto form and fired on Predaking, hitting him just right so he'd be the one going into freefall.

Springer looked to see the gestalt plummeting and said, "Not again!"

Ultra Magnus shouted, "Scatter!"

The Autobots were quick to move out of the way as Predaking was coming down fast with Sixshot still hovering above. The gestalt disengaged into the five Predacons and they fell one after the other. Headstrong hit first followed by Razorclaw, then by Rampage and then Tantrum followed. Divebomb was the lucky one due to his flight capabilities, until Sixshot blasted him from above and he slammed into Tantrum. Sixshot landed in front of the beasts as they tried to merge once again but they couldn't. Sixshot had done something to them and he was now sauntering toward them.

"Not that I'd expect you to understand, but I disable your combination system. Permanently. You won't be coming together again," Sixshot took aim on the suddenly defenseless Predacons, not noticing the multi-legged creature descending on him. "Which is too bad; I was starting to enjoy it."

Sixshot then prepared to fire on the Predacons when Blackarachnia struck, dropping literally right on top of him. In her Black Widow form, she dug her fangs into the right side of his face. Sixshot staggered around, shooting in random direction while trying to get rid of the arachnid. Blackarachnia clung to Sixshot, relentlessly gnawing at his face and then eventually shattering his right optic. Sixshot bellowed in immense pain before he was finally able to throw Blackarachnia off, sending her landing in proto form right in front of the Predacon. She hissed as Sixshot took aim and fired, but his shot was completely off and his optic shorted out.

Blackarachnia was then flanked by the Predacons as they took a stance against Sixshot. "Stay away from my family." She snapped.

Sixshot was about to fire on Blackarachnia when he was suddenly being fired upon by the Autobots, all of whom regrouped after Predaking's fall. The Six-changer fired back but most of his shot went wide and missed the Autobots completely, and the Autobots kept up the assault. Outnumbered and left without an option, Sixshot assumed spacecraft form and jetted away toward the stars.

As all of this was going on, Rodimus Prime was still locked in a brutal struggle against the bigger and stronger Skyquake. Of the few remaining Decepticons, only Galvatron and Blitzwing remained and both were paralyzed by indecision. Rodimus didn't burden himself with the thought of either of them attacking and stayed focused on Skyquake. The larger Decepticon made use a huge broadsword, heavy and slow in the hands of another, but Skyquake handled at as though it was part of him. He moved at a surprisingly fast pace, forcing Rodimus to duck and weave between swipes while trying to strike back with his arm blades. Skyquake blocked several swipes while dodging several more and tried to take Rodimus' head off with a wide swipe which Rodimus ducked under.

From his sudden crouch position, Rodimus spun around and caught Skyquake across the chassis. The blow left a noticeable gash but it hardly stopped Skyquake from attacking. In fact, he attacked with increasing fury and put Rodimus on defense. Rodimus had to weather the onslaught but he knew he couldn't last forever. Skyquake suddenly kicked Rodimus down and pinned him to the ground, holding the point of his broadsword to his face.

"I expected better from the leader of the Autobots." Skyquake mocked.

"How 'bout this?" Rodimus Prime quickly deployed his crossbow and shot Skyquake in the shoulder.

Skyquake staggered as Rodimus Prime rose up and went on the attack. Now it was Skyquake on the defensive as Rodimus Prime showed a relentless fury that might rival his own. The thing was, deep down in his Spark, Skyquake was relishing it. The thrill of battle was ever present within him, and he knew it was only a matter of time before Rodimus Prime exhausted himself. Rodimus kept up his attack with a quick series of swipes couple with occasional crossbow shots. Skyquake simply took the attacks and weathered the storm, waiting for a chance to strike.

The problem was, Rodimus Prime was relentless in his assault and Skyquake began to wonder if his chance to strike would ever materialize. Skyquake briefly caught a glimpse of Galvatron and Blitzwing looking on, neither of them making a move to assist. As if he needed the help, he thought. Rodimus Prime didn't let up for a moment, fighting as though he had something to prove. He then made a crucial misstep and Skyquake capitalized with a sudden thrust of his broadsword. Rodimus spun around, caught the arm of Skyquake with his right arm and holding his left arm blade to Skyquake's neck. They were literally up close and personal, face to face, optic to optic. Skyquake knew though the Rodimus Prime had him dead to rights.

"Well," he said. "What are you waiting for? Finish it?"

"Don't tempt me, Skyquake." Rodimus snarled.

"Why not? Are you scared," Skyquake mocked. "You Autobots are just as ruthless as the Decepticons. It's in our nature to do battle and destroy each other. Why fight it?"

"Shut up!" Rodimus snarled.

Skyquake continued to relentlessly taunt Rodimus. "Think of the glory. Seize the day," he said. "Galvatron would."

"I'm _not_ Galvatron." Rodimus said.

"Obviously," Skyquake chuckled. "You're nothing but a coward, just like Optimus. It's no wonder he died so easily."

Rodimus Prime finally snapped. But just as he was about to deliver the killing blow, both he and Skyquake, and all the Transformers present, were suddenly thrown to their knee, holding the sides of their heads. Spike, being human, wasn't sure what to make of it, but was as if the Transformers were in excruciating pain. He did see something, a shrill, ear splitting sound that had the Transformers down, but it seemingly had no effect on him. Then Spike spotted the source of the sound; Alpha Q. The Quintesson leader hovered right by Blitzwing and then Galvatron. Galvatron made a grab for the treacherous alien but the high shriek was overwhelming. Alpha Q ignored Galvatron and moved on toward the Hall of Records, passing by Skyquake and Rodimus Prime. He stopped and looked briefly at Skyquake, sneering. That was when Skyquake realized he'd been double-crossed but could do nothing as Alpha Q continued on.

Spike hung back as Alpha Q approached the Hall of Records front entrance. Alpha Q hadn't noticed him yet, which might've played to Spike advantage. Or maybe, Alpha Q didn't consider the human to be a threat to his plans. Either way, Alpha Q entered the Hall which was still dark from millennia of inactivity even after the Great War. Spike follow but not before looking back at the Autobots and Decepticons. They were all still incapacitated by whatever Alpha Q use on them. It was up to Spike to stop Alpha Q from finding the Covenant of Primus.

Once inside the Hall however, Spike noticed that Alpha Q had disappeared. "Where the hell…"

Cautiously, Spike moved through the Hall, the only light coming from the single data stream Rodimus Prime had found earlier. The feeling of being watched washed over Spike at that moment, and he didn't like it one bit. He glanced back outside to see if any of the Transformers had recovered. So far the answer was in the negative. Spike moved deeper into the Hall and didn't notice the shadow behind him. He felt his heart rate rising, the sweat dripping from his brow and his breathing increase. Then without warning, Alpha Q dropped down behind him and hissed, effectively knocking Spike to the floor.

"The human," Alpha Q deployed a pair of buzz saws from his tendril. "How I've anticipated experimenting on your species."

Spike looked up at the buzz saw and very audibly said, "Aw shit!" Then he jumped out of the way when Alpha Q attacked. Spike quickly ran deeper into the Hall with Alpha Q stalking after him.

"Come here, human," Alpha Q said. "I promise it will not hurt. Much!"

* * *

><p>Earth: Oregon Mountains<br>Autobot City Limits

Roulette and Bulkhead drove around the big legs of Trypticon in order to reach another point of attack. They stopped short, transformed to proto form and fired from behind. Trypticon might not have seemed to be aware of them, but he was. He was intending to ignore them and focus on the defenseless Autobot City, but the combined efforts of Stratosphere, Airazor, Superion, Sky Lynx, Breakaway and Tempest put his plan on hold. Drift was still scaling up the armored hull of the beast having reached the thigh. There, he slashed at the armor and cleaved bits of it away. Trypticon ignored him and fired at the aerial Autobots with his laser. Then he focused on Bulkhead and Roulette. He whipped his tail toward them, where it hit the ground and kicked up a massive wall of dust. The momentum sent Bulkhead flying back while Roulette barely avoided contact and transformed to vehicle form.

Bulkhead recovered just enough to see Roulette attempt to outrun Trypticon but the beast's tail knocked her into the air. Roulette returned to proto form in mid flight and fired at Trypticon's midsection, only several meters from where Drift was clinging. Then she landed on her feet, rolled through and transformed back into vehicle form. Bulkhead was rolling into the fray and as soon as he was close, he transformed and deployed his maces. He slammed them into the armor, leaving a pair of huge dents but it still didn't register to Trypticon. Bulkhead backed off and regrouped with Roulette.

"We're not doing enough damage to that thing," Bulkhead shouted. "Where's Depth Charge?"

Up from his perch, Drift saw the arching cliff face and pressed his fingers to his head. "Depth Charge, target's in position. Do it now."

Far out and just entering the river from the Pacific, Depth Charge started speeding toward his intended target. Trypticon was right by the cliff face and had no idea what was coming. Going at full speed, Depth Charge literally rocketed up the river without even considering what might be in his path. He didn't have time to worry about that anyway. His on board radar systems picked the energon signature of Trypticon and a handful of Autobot signatures. Then he spotted the arching cliff. All he had to do was hit it right. Trypticon wouldn't know what hit him.

Within moments, Depth Charge hit the cliff face and literally skimmed the surface and kicking dust up in his wake. He was then airborne and soaring right toward Trypticon. From inside Tempest's cockpit, Marissa watched in awe at the Littoral Combat ship in the air. She gasped then when it looked like Depth Charge was losing altitude. Then something unexpected occurred that she couldn't explain. The Littoral Combat ship deployed a set of wings and thrusters and started flying upward toward Trypticon's head.

"_Marissa, are you seeing this?"_ Lennox called out.

"Yeah," Marissa said sounding completely dumbfounded. "I'll get back to you once I start believing it."

Depth Charge flew as far as his thrusters would take him before they cut out, and he used his wings to glide toward the head of Trypticon. Once in range, Depth Charge transformed mid fall and deployed his sword. He dove straight down, sword extended down and slammed into armored face of the beast. In doing so, he drove the blade into the armor, just inches from the right optic. It was more than enough to get Trypticon's attention and the juggernaut reared his head back. Depth Charge twisted the sword to and fro, and every move sent Trypticon into a rage. All of the airborne Autobots disengaged, as did the Autobots on the grounds, and only Drift remained fixed on Trypticon's body.

Depth Charge twisted some more and snarled, "You feel that? That's raw steel; take it. Take it all, you sticking piece of slag."

As Trypticon flailed about, Drift contacted Wheeljack in the city. "Drift to Wheeljack; please tell me you've got the cog in place."

"_We're almost there, Drift; just a little longer."_ Wheeljack responded.

"Tell Wheeljack he's just fitting a piece of tin, not writing a slaggin' symphony." Depth Charge bellowed from his attack point.

"Yeah, you heard that. Hurry up, Wheeljack." Drift said.

Depth Charge, hoping that Wheeljack was hearing him, shouted out, "This better work or I'm kickin' his skid plates all over this planet."

Just keep fighting, Depth Charge." said Drift.

While the Wreckers continued their assault, inside the city, Wheeljack and Perceptor were almost finished with the conversion cog while the other Autobots had retreated to an underground bunker. Blur had stayed behind to assist in his usual frenetic way. It was what Wheelie would've wanted, he told himself. Perceptor checked a nearby monitor that displayed the battle with Trypticon. It was eerily similar to the battle against Unicron. The Wreckers couldn't hold out forever. Perceptor continued his work with Wheeljack until at last, the conversion cog with in place between two larger cogs. The cog began a slow rotation in a counterclockwise movement while the two larger cogs went clockwise.

A series of monitors and various lights began shining as Wheeljack, Perceptor and Blur backed out of the cog chamber. They heard something that sounded like a low hum, or a moan. Then a rumble shook the chamber as the three Autobots were leaving. When they got outside, a number of yards from where Trypticon was spotted, they turned around to watch the Autobot City subsection begin to come alive of its own accord.

In mid flight, Airazor was the first to notice the awe inspiring transformation of the city into… something else. "Is anyone else seeing what I'm seeing? I only ask 'cause… it's awesome!"

"Whatever Wheeljack and Perceptor did in there, I hope it turns things around." Stratosphere added.

Drift could clearly see the city's transformation and made what appeared to be two huge cannons. They were lowered and aiming right at Trypticon. "All Autobots, disengage and scatter. Now!" Then Drift jumped from the armored side of the juggernaut.

On the ground, Bulkhead and Roulette assumed vehicle mode and drove off with Drift joining them soon after. Airazor and Stratosphere disengaged soon after with Stratosphere picking up Depth Charge. Once the Wreckers had gone, Sky Lynx, Breakaway, Tempest and Superion were the next to break off the attack. Trypticon chuckled at the seeming victory before he refocused on the city and only then did he notice the change taking place. It made no difference to him as he prepared to fire his laser, and he intended to be at point-blank range for the killing blow. But then he was rocked by the giant cannons when they opened fire on him.

Trypticon, for the first time since his arrival on Earth, staggered back. His chassis was scorched while before him, the subsection began to move toward him even so slowly. A series of gun turret never seen before appeared and together with the big cannons, fired on Trypticon and driving him back. Trypticon roared and fired his laser at what he could only assume now was a mobile battle station formed from what used to be the Autobot City subsection, heavily armed and stalking him. The laser struck the side of the station, burned it but didn't even slow it down. Then the station fired back, striking Trypticon and random points of his body.

Then the unthinkable happened when the mobile battle station began transforming. The outermost sections folded and shifted down while the rear portion rose up. With the lower sections forming into two massive legs, a pair of arms shifted outward while the numerous gun turrets disappeared into the shifting walls. The big cannon that attacked Trypticon shifted up and were shown to be part of a cranium and black steel, like a helmet. A silver face appeared from within the helmet with a set of piercing, bright red optics. Trypticon backed away as the new machination took shape until an equally gargantuan machine stood between him and Autobot City. Undeterred, Trypticon charged full speed and was met with a straight punch to his reptilian face. The blow sent Trypticon crashing to the ground, not just the ground but the entire Earth and sending a tremor and an immense wall of dust across the landscape.

Trypticon shook his head and roared at him imposing new foe who soon declared, "I am Metroplex and you are not welcome here."

* * *

><p>Author's note: So much went down in this chapter that it's hard to keep up, but let's try it anyway.<p>

The Wreckers were still holding out against Trypticon while Wheeljack and Perceptor were still trying to get that damn cog in place.

Meanwhile on Cybertron, Rodimus and Skyquake had their one on one before that ever treacherous Alpha Q made his move.

Finally, Metroplex makes his BIG debut, and I mean BIG. A Titanic smack down is approaching. Stay tuned for the next chapter. Peace out.

P.S. Depth Charge is still an asshole, and we're all okay with that.


	24. Trypticon Vs Metroplex

Disclaimer: In the immortal words of The Thing (or CM Punk) IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME.

I still don't own the rights to the Transformers but that's okay.

* * *

><p>Chapter XXIV<p>

Earth: Oregon Mountains  
>Autobot City Limits<p>

The titanic form of Metroplex loomed over the rattled juggernaut called Trypticon, and he was big enough to blot out the sun. From a hilltop overlooking the landscape, the city-based Autobots joined up with the Wreckers and the Aerialbots. They all got an amazing view of their newest and biggest ally. It was the most awe inspiring sight any one of them had ever seen, and then Trypticon began to rise up to face his new foe. The Decepticon titan took to standing completely upright until he met the optics of Metroplex and then he roared so loud that it shook the mountains apart. Metroplex didn't flinch one bit, instead cocking his massive head to one side and smirking.

"For a Decepticon, you don't look so fierce." he said in a booming tone.

Trypticon growled in anger. "You would dare mock me? I am Trypticon, and I am your death."

Metroplex answered with a straight punch right to the snout of the reptilian robot. "You're not my death; you're practice."

Trypticon roared and advanced on Metroplex, who braced himself for impact. They collided, literally shaking the landscape around them. They were immediately locked in gigantic stalemate with neither one gain an edge. From the sidelines, the Autobots looked on in awe as the two gargantuan robots tussled until Metroplex pushed Trypticon back. Trypticon staggered back and charged, and ended up taking another blow right to the snout. Metroplex threw another punch to the same area, and then another, each blow pushing Trypticon back. Every blow seemed to shake the Earth before Trypticon finally caught Metroplex's forearm in his jaw. Metroplex didn't flinch, but instead smiled. Then he wailed on Trypticon with his free arm.

The following couple of attacks forced Trypticon to release his hold but he then swung his massive tail around. This time Metroplex was unprepared and forced back several steps. Then Trypticon armed his weapons and fired at Metroplex, who threw his arms up to defend himself against an onslaught of missiles and laser blasts. An immense plume of smoke and dust was kicked into the air before Trypticon ceased his attack. Nothing seemed to come from the giant smokescreen before a series of missiles shot right back at Trypticon. They missiles struck the juggernaut head on and forced him back before Metroplex charged at full speed.

Metroplex grappled Trypticon and tackled him across the landscape, effectively moving him away from Autobot City. Then they tumbled to the ground and caused the landscape to shake before Trypticon somehow managed to turn Metroplex on his back. Trypticon began snapping at Metroplex before Metroplex flipped him over and to the ground. Every time either of them hit the ground, the entire landscape was shaken as if a mega quake was underway. Both behemoths rose to their feet and pounded each other in a slow but vicious fury. On the hilltop, the Autobots looked on as Metroplex and Trypticon slugged it out.

"Damn," said a wide eyed Major Lennox. "I've been in the Military for years and I've never anything even close to this."

"You obviously haven't seen Unicron." Breakaway said.

"Do I ever want to know who that is?" Lennox asked.

Breakaway looked over at Tempest and both replied, "No!"

"This is like something out of one of those Earth cartoons," Airazor quipped. "Except, no kids in colorful outfits," Airazor then noticed the looks she was getting from most of the other Autobots. "What I say?"

Blaster, Wheeljack, Perceptor and the rest of the Autobots from the city, along with Carly and Daniel, continued to watch as Metroplex pounded Trypticon back. "I don't 'bout ya'll, but Metroplex is my kind of town." Blaster said.

"Should we try to assist Metroplex?" Perceptor said, turning over to Silverbolt and Drift.

Both of them looked at each other and Silverbolt casually said, "He's doing fine without us."

All the while, Metroplex and Trypticon continued their titanic clash across the landscape. Despite each having an array of weaponry at their disposal, they instead relied on the use of brute forced. They pounded on each other, too evenly match for either to gain an edge. Trypticon did have his tail, which he occasionally whipped into the chassis of Metroplex to push him back, but that still did little to turn the tide. Then Trypticon fired his big laser which Metroplex blocked with his arms until the laser dissipated. Metroplex then slammed his fist right into the face of Trypticon before Trypticon took to clawing at him. Trypticon managed to catch Metroplex in the side before Metroplex returned the favor with his own blow.

Then Trypticon decided to use an alternate method of attack, assuming warship form and taking flight. He fired a stream of missiles and lasers down on Metroplex before Metroplex assumed his mobile battle station form. In this form, Metroplex fired his cannons up at the warship form of Trypticon, striking the underside of his rival and sending his listing slightly to one side. Trypticon managed to right himself and fired back, striking the front most portion of the station. Then Trypticon attempted to move away from Metroplex and focus on the rest of Autobot City but Metroplex fired on him again. This time, Trypticon listed far to the left side and attempted to get away, but Metroplex followed him.

Metroplex fired his cannons once again and this time caught Trypticon just enough to send him crashing to the landscape. The warship skidded across the ground and left an immense trail behind him. As soon as the mobile station was close enough, Trypticon transformed back into his dinosaur form and kicked it hard. The blow threw the mobile station upside down but just before Trypticon could attack, Metroplex returned to his proto form and kicked Trypticon back. Metroplex tackled Trypticon and carried him across the landscape up until they slammed into a mountain, causing an avalanche of rock and dust to pour down on them.

They continued fighting it out, trading blows with such fury the entire side of the mountain was reduced to rubble. Trypticon was pinned against what was left of the mountain and Metroplex pounded away on him mercilessly before Trypticon managed to turn the table. He whipped his tail across the back of Metroplex once, twice and then a third time before Metroplex released his death grip. Then Trypticon whipped Metroplex again, sending the titanic Autobot to the ground before continuing the assault. He whipped Metroplex with his tail several more time before Metroplex caught it. Trypticon attempted to get free but Metroplex wasn't about to let go. Trypticon rounded around and blasted Metroplex with his laser, forcing Metroplex to release his tail, and then Trypticon tackled Metroplex to the ground.

Trypticon him Metroplex pinned and snapped at him with his jaw, while Metroplex had to put him left arm up to block it. Then Trypticon punched Metroplex in the face, after which Metroplex seemed to spit bits of steel out of his mouth. "Is that all you've got?" he said.

Trypticon roared in fury and went to bite Metroplex, but Metroplex aimed his head cannons and fired right in the Decepticon's face. The blast forced Trypticon back a few steps, shaking his head as Metroplex stood up and grasped him. Metroplex next attempted to hoist Trypticon but Trypticon lowered his own base so Metroplex couldn't lift him. Then Trypticon pounded his massive claws into the back of Metroplex, literally digging them into the steel. Metroplex screamed and at the same time, Trypticon laughed.

The Metroplex caught Trypticon off guard when drove the back of his head into the jaw of the beast. Trypticon was stunned and Metroplex laid into him some more, this time with increased fury. Trypticon fired his big laser, catching Metroplex across the shoulder and forcing him back before charging. Metroplex sidestepped him and clubbed him from behind, sending Trypticon crashing down. Trypticon got back up immediately and grappled with Metroplex. The sheer force of their lock up shattered the ground beneath them.

"You are strong for an Autobot." Trypticon snarled.

"Maybe you underestimated me, Decepticon." Metroplex snarled back.

Metroplex began forcing Trypticon back with each of their steps leaving a massive footprint in the ground. They broke their tie up and just as quickly locked hands, or claws, in a test of strength. They struggled to gain the upper hand before Metroplex began to gain some headway, pushing Trypticon back. Then Trypticon began to push back against Metroplex while he covertly maneuvered his tail up over his shoulder. Metroplex saw it coming and quickly kneed Trypticon, and then he landed a pair of stiff punches to the chassis of Trypticon. A third blow sent Trypticon spinning around and the momentum sent his tail slamming right into Metroplex, knocking to the ground.

Trypticon began whipping his tail straight down onto Metroplex repeatedly, each and every blow pushing Metroplex deeper into the ground. But Metroplex was able to grab the tail on the twelfth blow and rose up, and then he pulled as hard as he could on it. Trypticon was brought down hard before Metroplex began to slowly spin him around, and Trypticon dug his claws into the ground to no avail. The spin out was slow, ungainly and lacked finesse, but it was effective for Metroplex as he spun Trypticon around. Then he let go; Trypticon flew barely half a mile before slamming into the nearest mountain, completely obliterating it on impact.

Metroplex advanced before Trypticon fired more missiles to hold him off, and then Trypticon transformed back into warship form. Metroplex braced for the next salvo only to find that Trypticon was attempting to retreat toward the sky. Not wanting to allow the escape attempt, Metroplex jumped up as high as his massive frame would allow and he manage to grab Trypticon. He pulled himself up on top of the warship, and the combined mass was too much for Trypticon to handle. He couldn't pull up toward the sky but he was at least able to maintain altitude over the landscape, for what good it did.

"Get off me, fool. You'll destroy us both." Trypticon bellowed.

"If that's what it takes to stop you, then so be it." Metroplex declared.

Trypticon began to hover several hundred meters up off the landscape with Metroplex literally riding him. At times, he tried to ascend but the sheer mass would allow for that. Metroplex for his part took to pounding on the hull of the sentient warship as it hovered away from the city and toward the Pacific coast. Back on the hilltop that served as their vantage point, the Autobots looked on in complete awe. The humans were even more dumbstruck at the sight of a titanic sized Autobots riding on top of a Decepticon warship.

"Ain't that a sight?" Stratosphere said.

"Depth Charge, how long do you think Metroplex can hold out against Trypticon, even now?" Marissa asked the naval infantry Wrecker.

"He's held on so far, but I'm thinking we'll have to get our hand dirty at some point." said Depth Charge before glancing at Drift.

"Agreed," said Drift. "We'll have to be ready to mobilize at a moment's notice. We can't do it alone, though." Drift looked at the Aerialbots.

Silverbolt put his hand over Drift shoulder and said, "You won't. We've got your back."

Breakaway and Tempest stepped forward and Breakaway declared, "So do we."

"As do I." declared Sky Lynx.

Outback stepped up in front of the rest of the Autobots and the Dinobots and declared, "We've all got your back. If we go down today, we go down fighting together."

All the while, Metroplex pounded on Trypticon alt form hull as the warship was steadily descending on its way toward the coast. Eventually, Metroplex must've hit a sweet spot, because Trypticon began listing hard to his port side. The sudden shift sent Metroplex falling to the Earth while Trypticon attempted to right himself. He was not just over the coastline leading into the Pacific Ocean and then he hit the water. A gigantic wall of water burst up into the sky where Trypticon landed and then the warship vanished beneath the waves. Humans that were in the area immediately scattered as the giant mobile battle station approached the coastline. Assuming his proto form as if he were in slow motion, Metroplex began a steady and methodical approach to the coastline.

He could see no sign of Trypticon moving under the ocean surface and cautiously waded into the ocean. Still no sign of the Decepticon juggernaut, not even a shadow. Metroplex remained ever cautious the farther he went into the ocean. By that point, his lower body was completely submerged. Flying overhead was Sky Lynx in shuttle form, which was carrying Marissa and Major Lennox, Breakaway, Tempest and the Wreckers inside of him. The Aerialbots flanked Sky Lynx on each side as they scanned the ocean's surface.

"Where is he," Lennox wondered aloud. "Did he disappear?"

"Nothing _that_ big just _disappears_," said Drift. "He's down there somewhere."

Metroplex continued to look around for Trypticon but still saw nothing outside of a lot of sea water. He turned about and faced the coastline, looking far to see if Trypticon somehow managed to slip by him. That would've been highly unlikely but Metroplex wasn't taking any chances. He was focused, too focused on the coastline, and he didn't see the giant shadow looming toward him from underwater. Marissa did see it.

"Shit, he's there. He's right behind him." She shouted.

"Metroplex, behind you." Sky Lynx shouted.

Metroplex turned around his head just in time to see Trypticon burst out of the ocean in a giant geyser of sea water. Trypticon literally threw himself onto Metroplex, just like Metroplex did to him before. Then using his mass, Trypticon pulled Metroplex down into the ocean even as Metroplex tried to fight him off. The titan vanished beneath the ocean surface as the Autobots and their human allies looked on in horror. A tense pause and disquieting moment followed before, much to the terror of the Autobots, Trypticon rose up from the ocean. He roared in seeming triumph before turning his attention to Sky Lynx and the Aerialbots flying overhead.

"Foolish Autobots. Not even your living city could stop me. Now, face your extermination."

Trypticon fired his big laser, causing Sky Lynx and the Aerialbots to scatter. Silverbolt took Sky Dive and Fireflight with as they flanked left, while Sky Lynx flanked right with Slingshot and Air Raid. Breakaway and Tempest quickly joined the battle as Trypticon fired a stream of missiles. The missiles were slow to keep up with the airborne Autobots and then Silverbolt, Sky Dive and Fireflight returned fire on him. Sky Lynx, Slingshot and Air Raid added to the attack and then Tempest and Breakaway finished it up. Their attacks left a series of scorch marks around Trypticon but they did little to slow him down. In fact, the only thing slowing Trypticon was sea water.

From with Sky Lynx, the Wreckers fired on Trypticon before Stratosphere, Airazor and Depth Charge jumped into the fray. While Stratosphere and Airazor assumed their alt forms and attacked, Depth Charge chose to use the same tactic as before. He dove onto the head of Trypticon and drove his sword into the steel and twisted the blade around like he had before. Just as before, Trypticon whipped around in a rage trying to relieve himself of the pesky Autobot. This gave the airborne Autobots the chance to launch a coordinated attack the beast, and the end result saw Trypticon's missile silos destroyed and a great level of damage done to him.

Still, Trypticon didn't falter. He still had his big laser and he fired away at anything moving, whether it was any one of the Aerialbots or Sky Lynx or Breakaway and Tempest. He eventually managed to strike a glancing shot on Breakaway, and the young flyer spiraled down toward the coastline. Tempest jetted right after him and caught him, but the momentum carried both toward the coastline where they crash landed into the shallow water.

Shaking her head, Tempest checked on Breakaway who was barely moving. "Breakaway, are you hurt?"

"Ouch," Breakaway said. "I think my pride's been shattered," Then Breakaway saw the looming form of Trypticon above himself and Tempest. "Um, okay. That's not a good sign."

It looked like Trypticon was about to bring his massive foot down on the two grounded flyers when the Aerialbots jetted by and distracted him. Trypticon took a wild swipe at them with his claws, missing them completely. Then Airazor and Stratosphere flew in and took potshots at the juggernaut while Sky Lynx remained high. Drift, Bulkhead and Roulette took their own shots at Trypticon's head from inside Sky Lynx, careful to avoid hitting Depth Charge as he was carving into the beast's head.

Down on the ground below Trypticon, the rest of the Autobots and the Dinobots, led by Cliffjumper, fired everything they had at Trypticon and giving Tempest and Breakaway a chance to escape. Trypticon whipped his head around and that was enough to throw Depth Charge off of him. Depth Charge assumed his alt form upon hitting the water and sped right back toward Trypticon. Deploying his wing implements, Depth Charge rocket right back onto Tryptyicon's tail and assume proto form. There, he kept attacking relentlessly even as Trypticon whipping his tail to and fro.

Even as the Autobots continued to bring the fight to Trypticon, the Decepticon juggernaut simply laughed. That didn't stop the Aerialbots from merging into Superion and landing on the beast's hull. Superion punched a gaping hole into the steel, causing Trypticon to wince and reach for the lone combiner. Superion got clear of the giant claw and fired at Trypticon from a distance. Inside of Sky Lynx, Drift deployed his katana swords and dove into the fray. He fell passed Trypticon's head and landed on his back, driving his weapons into the steel. In the end however, Trypticon simply shook off the effects of the combined assault. He whipped around and wound up throwing Depth Charge and Drift from his body, swatted Superion out of the sky and fired his laser at Sky Lynx, grazing his right wing and sending him crashing to the coastline. Then he fired the laser again at the grounded Autobots, though they all managed to avoid it. Seeing the battle falling apart, the Autobots retreated.

Trypticon laughed at the seeming victory. "You are all fools. No one can defeat me. Now, die!"

Before Trypticon could proceed to finish off the Autobots, a massive geyser of sea water burst forth and Metroplex reappeared right behind his evil counterpart. Trypticon turned around just in time to take a huge right hook to the face. A left cross followed by another right hook spun Trypticon around, and Metroplex grabbed hold of the tail. Trypticon attempted to get free and continue back inland but Metroplex pulled him back out to sea. As he pulled, Trypticon rounded his head and fired his big laser again, completely missing when Metroplex shifted to his left. Trypticon again tried to advance back onto the coastline when the unthinkable happened.

Metroplex pulled with all his might until he wound up pulling Trypticon's entire tail from his body. Trypticon roared in pain for the first time in his existence and again tried to retreat but Metroplex was having none of it and grabbed Trypticon by his nearest leg. Metroplex drove the point of his elbow down into the joint of the leg, bringing Trypticon down further even as Trypticon tried to fight back. Trypticon even managed to land a blow on Metroplex's face with his own elbow. It didn't stop Metroplex from pounding Trypticon into submission and then wrapping his arm around his neck.

"No! I am Trypticon. I cannot be defeated. I cannot…"

Metroplex grasped the upper and lower halves of Trypticon and pulled as hard as he could. Despite his best efforts to get free, Trypticon could already feel his mouth widening in a way it shouldn't have been able. Then came the loudest snapping sound of the all. Metroplex pulled and pulled until finally, the entire top half of Trypticon's head came loose in a cascade of spare parts, leaving the lower half a mangled mess. Metroplex threw the severed half-a-head inland and then in a displayed pure brute strength, he hoisted the remains of Trypticon and tossed them far into the ocean. The husk hit the water, floated there for a brief moment and then sank down into the depths of the Pacific.

Metroplex started making his way back inland. He glanced back briefly and then muttered, "Puny 'Con."

The battle finally over, the rest of the Autobots gathered their wounded as Depth Charge returned to the shore with Drift in tow. Sky Lynx, despite his right wing being damaged, managed to survive with Bulkhead, Roulette and Marissa and Lennox alive and well. Superion disengaged and joined the survivors. Tempest and Breakaway were the last to join the survivors, and Breakaway had a noticeable limb in his step. Carly and Daniel, who had accompanied the Autobots from the city, approached the two flyers as Tempest set Breakaway down.

"Well," Breakaway said. "That was, uh… character forming."

The Wreckers gathered themselves and Drift said, "I think we can safely assume that Trypticon won't be bothering us again."

Then the hulking form of Metroplex approached and knelt down over the Autobots. "Is everyone safe?"

The one Autobot who approached Metroplex first was Wheeljack. "We're all okay, Metroplex, thanks to you."

"I am the one who should be thankful," Metroplex stated. "Had it not been for all of you, Trypticon would have destroyed me while I laid dormant. Rest assured that you and this inhabitant of this planet Earth will be under my protection."

"It's good to have you on our side." Drift said.

Daniel looked up toward the sky, searching for something that couldn't be seen. Carly approached her son and said, "Daniel, I know what you're thinking," Carly saw Daniel turn to her and she smiled slightly. "He'll be back."

"I hope so, Mom," Daniel said and turned back to looking toward the sky. He whispered, "C'mon, Dad. Where are you?"

* * *

><p>Author's Note: That is that for this chapter, which was all about the epic smack down of two titanic robots in disguise. (See what I did there?) I knew I had to go all out on this one, maybe even use some of the old Godzilla or King Kong movies for reference.<p>

I also had to make sure it wasn't too cheesy like the old cartoon by making it an outright brawl. I think I got it done for the most part, but that's up to you, the readers. We still got a ways to go toward the finale, so stayed tuned.


	25. The Rise & Fall of Alpha Q

Disclaimer: We're getting so close to the end that it's killing me faster than the Hate Plague. Alright, maybe not, but I got the next chapter in, so that something, right. Enjoy the show and remember; I own nothing.

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><p>Chapter XXV<p>

Cybertron  
>Iacon Hall of Records<p>

Spike moved as quietly as his exo-suit would allow without giving himself away. He knew he was no match for Alpha Q without the Autobots but since Alpha Q disabled them, and the Decepticons, Spike was pretty much on his own. He periodically peaked around the corner of his hiding spot, looking for any sign of Alpha Q before moving toward another hiding spot. From his new point, Spike looked around and still couldn't see Alpha Q anywhere. His mind was racing at that point and he began remembering seeing the movie _The Thing_, where the alien would absorb and then imitate its victims and then strike at the remaining ones. Spike was hoping that wouldn't happen to him, assuming he could avoid Alpha Q catching him.

Focused as he was though, Spike didn't see the tendril with an inactive buzz saw rising up behind him. But he felt something was wrong and he turned sharply, just in time to see the tendril lunging at him. Spike dove to the side the now active buzz saw cut the floor where he stood. Alpha Q appeared again brandishing his other buzz saw tipped tendril and smiled wickedly at the human. Spike ducked out of the way on an oncoming buzz saw and stopped when the other cut right in front of him. Alpha Q hissed at Spike and knocked him into the wall. Spike recovered ducked to the side just before the wall was cut open.

Alpha Q laughed, "Yes, run. Run, little fleshling. Capturing you will be all the sweeter in the end."

* * *

><p>Rodimus Prime was barely moving after being disabled they way he had been by Alpha Q. He scanned around him and saw the Autobots in the same sorry state as himself. Spike was trapped in the Hall of Records with Alpha Q, alone. Rodimus couldn't do anything about it and he started to think he failed as a leader. As he thought this, he began to see things, like ghosts of the past. One of them seemed to approach Rodimus, looking down at him ever so curiously. Rodimus looked up at the ghost and could swear he felt a familiarity from the ghost even though it hadn't taken a physical form.<p>

"_Rodimus..."_

"Optimus…" Rodimus mused.

"_It is not over, Rodimus,"_ said the ghost that seemed to sound like Optimus Prime. _"You must stand, for all Cybertronians, Autobots and Decepticons alike. Til all are one."_

Then the apparition vanished and another figure approached Rodimus. It was solid and menacing and stopped in front of the fallen Autobot. Rodimus Prime tried to look up but still could only scarsly move. Then the figure moved away from Rodimus Prime and on toward the Hall of Records. Rodimus still could barely see but he could just make out the darkened tint of a Decepticon. The figure looked back at Rodimus briefly and then continued on toward the Hall of Records. Now more than ever, Rodimus Prime needed to stand up and end the conflict before it was too late.

* * *

><p>Alpha Q relentlessly chased Spike through the Hall of Records and in retrospect was destroying what was considered sacred ground to the Autobots. He didn't care. As long as he acquired the Covenant of Primus, what did it matter? But that wretched organic that was an ally to the Autobots could ruin everything if it wasn't dealt with. It; the human was a thing to Alpha Q to be experimented on once he caught it. Alpha Q imagined in his own sick mind what he could learn from the tiny organic, how it functioned compared to the Transformers. It would be a glorious learning experience.<p>

Spike, on the other hand, had no interest in being a test subject for a twisted alien. He sure as Hell couldn't let Alpha Q reach the Covenant either, which meant he had to play _cat and mouse_ until help arrived. Preferably Autobot help. But the Autobots were somehow incapacitated by Alpha Q, so Spike was on his own until then. That was bad and then quickly became worse when Alpha Q caught up to him, forcing Spike into dodging his buzz saw tendril attacks. Spike ran back out into the open with Alpha Q in pursuit, repeatedly whipping his weapons at the human in an attempt to slow him down. Or kill him, whichever came first.

Alpha Q eventually lost sight of the human and sneered almost gleefully. "Hide as much as you desire, human. I will find you and take great pleasure in peeling your skin away for further study," Alpha Q waited for a response but none came, and so he continued, "Once I have the Covenant of Primus, I will seize absolute control of Cybertron. Then, perhaps I will turn my attention to your planet Earth. Oh, the experiments I will conduct there will be glorious."

Spike suddenly appeared right behind Alpha Q, with the exo-suit's weapons activated and quickly fired on the alien, blasting him in the back. Alpha Q was thrown forward a few feet before he gathered himself, and then he turned and hissed at Spike. Spike knew he'd just made him angry. Alpha Q lunged at Spike who dodged to the side and went deeper into the Hall of Records with Alpha Q in pursuit. This time, Alpha Q was able to keep up with Spike and tried repeatedly to slice him apart with his buzz saw. He did so in the most manic of ways and caused more damage to the Hall. If it was an act of sacrilege, he didn't care.

Spike kept ducking and dodging and weaving in between the near endless attacks from the menacing alien. There were moments when Spike though his head was inches away from being taking off. Then reality hit Spike hard as he just kept avoiding the attacks of Alpha Q for dear life. Where was Rodimus Prime? Where was Ultra Magnus or Elita One? Spike then just barely managed to avoid an extremely close swipe of Alpha Q's buzz saw. It came within an eyelash of the glass canopy of his suit, but it felt a whole hell of a lot closer to his eyebrows. Spike thought he'd actually seen his reflection, and that was before he felt the saw graze the glass canopy of his suit and leave a noticeable scrape.

At least Spike wasn't in any real danger of being exposed to the atmosphere of the Cybertron, regardless of how foul smelling it was. Right now though, he was still trying to avoid Alpha Q's relentless assault. Except for that one quick surprise attack, Spike couldn't fight back. He could only run and avoid the assault. Alpha Q continued to swipe and miss hitting the human, but he did take a perverse enjoyment in the hunt. He was toying with the human but sooner or later, he'd have to forget about it and get the Covenant. The human knew he was after the Covenant and would try to stop him.

Alpha Q again lost track of the human and then saw the opening in the wall. This was too good to be true. Alpha Q slowly advanced toward the opening and out onto the narrow aisle in the circular chamber. He saw the lone desk at the end of the path and found the single feather sitting there. The Quill of the Archivist, Alpha Q reasoned. This meant that Covenant of Primus wasn't far. Alpha Q chuckled and went to pick up the quill when he suddenly jumped by the annoying little human he'd been chasing.

Spike tried to maneuver Alpha Q over the edge of the narrow path. If he was going to die, he'd take Alpha Q down with him. Alpha Q tried to reach for the smaller human but he didn't want to end cutting himself with his own weapons. Spike held on for dear life as Alpha Q tried to get rid of him, swinging side to side with reckless abandon. Eventually, Alpha Q was able to throw Spike off of him, and Spike hit the path with heavy clang. He back peddled away from Alpha Q and his back was suddenly against the desk with the quill. He was trapped. Alpha Q reared his right tendril back with the buzz saw screaming and quickly thrust forward. Spike barely moved to the side and fell off the path, quickly grabbing hold of the edge and dangling above the pitch blackness below him.

Alpha Q hissed at the defenseless human and prepared to finish him off, but he glanced at quill. He glanced back at human, back at the quill and back again to the human before retracting his buzz saw. Then he grabbed the quill, pulling it to his hideous face and studied it closing. Interestingly, the quill seemed to shimmer in the limited light of the chamber. Alpha Q glanced back at the human and chuckled as it attempted to clamber back onto the path.

"I'll deal with you at a later time, insect," he said. "In the meantime, I have history to rewrite."

Alpha Q started on his way back toward the chamber entrance and returned to the main hall. That was when he felt the presence of another within the Hall. He glanced toward the main entrance at the hulking silhouette that could only be Skyquake. Something seemed different about the way he stood, because his shotgun was deployed and his optics glowed crimson red. Alpha Q found it curious but turned toward his seeming accomplice with a twisted grin on his face.

"Skyquake, I see you've recovered from my Resonance Scream," he said, to which Skyquake didn't response. "I do apologize, but it was out of necessity to disable our enemies…" That was when Alpha Q knew that something wasn't right and his grin widened. "You… you are _not_ Skyquake, are you?"

Skyquake, at least the physical Skyquake, armed his shotgun and aimed at Alpha Q. He didn't fire, but his he chuckle and said in a raspy tone, _"What gave me away?"_

Alpha Q recognized the voice immediately. "Starscream; as I understand, you're supposed to be dead."

"_I'm getting that everywhere in these troubled times,"_ said Starscream. _"But I expect to remedy that in due time. Maybe, just maybe, we can help each other."_

"Why would I want the assistance of a traitorous Decepticon," Alpha Q wondered, letting the question sink in before going on. "I know all about your failed power plays against Megatron."

"_Soon or later, you will be accosted by the Autobots or worse, Galvatron. Between us, I have a very personal score to settle with Galvatron,"_ Starscream stated and started to take a step forward. _"So, I think it would be in your best interest to help me, help you."_

"What assurance do I have that you won't betray me?" Alpha Q said.

Starscream pointed to his (Skyquake's) face and said, _"Is this the face of a liar?"_

Alpha Q was about to answer when he looked past Starscream toward the outside. The Autobots were starting to recover from the Resonance Scream, and so was Galvatron. Not good. Worse, Starscream was somehow standing right in front of him in Skyquake's body. That was the biggest problem since Alpha Q knew from his centuries of studying the Decepticons, Starscream couldn't be trusted. On the other hand, Starscream's one weakness was his unchecked ambition. Alpha Q could use that.

"If you help me locate the Covenant of Primus, I will guarantee you a new a body." he said.

"_Works for me!" _Starscream said.

Alpha Q turned around and set off to venture deeper into the Hall of Records with Starscream about to follow when, from outside of the Hall, a red and orange flamed truck came barreling into view. Starscream immediately fired on the truck using Skyquake's gun but the truck literally ran right over him. The truck screeched to a halt and assuming the proto form of Rodimus Prime, who quickly deployed his arm blades and charged right at who he believed to be Skyquake. Instinctively, Starscream deployed Skyquake's broadsword and blocked the coming blow from Rodimus Prime. Starscream pushed Rodimus back and went for a wild overhead swipe, completely missing Rodimus. Rodimus noticed that something wasn't right about Skyquake. It showed when Skyquake seemed to be struggling just to lift his weapon.

"What wrong, Skyquake," Rodimus said. "Getting tired?"

Starscream was starting to panic, which to Rodimus Prime seemed even more strange since to him, it looked like Skyquake was panicking. Then Rodimus was rocked by Alpha Q's Resonance Scream, giving Starscream the chance to recover and set up for the killing blow. He still had trouble just lifting the broadsword but at least he could take some pleasure in snuffing out the Spark of a Prime.

"Leave him, Starscream," Alpha Q bellowed. "We must locate the Covenant."

_"Why… you… you idiot! Don't speak my out loud."_ Starscream bellowed and followed Alpha Q deeper into the Hall.

Rodimus Prime was stilling recovering from the Resonance Scream and was thankful that it wasn't as intense as the first time. Or maybe, it was worse. Rodimus was sure he heard Alpha Q calling Skyquake, _Starscream. _Even stranger than that, Skyquake seemed to sound exactly like Starscream. Starscream was supposed to be dead…

Rodimus didn't burden himself with that and started to rise up. He struggled amid the still deafening ringing in his audio receivers but was able to get up to his feet. He could barely see anything but could tell that Alpha Q and Skyquake, or Starscream, or whoever he was, had gone deeper into the Hall. Rodimus was about to follow when another though crossed his mind, Spike. He was still somewhere in the Hall and if Alpha Q had hurt him or worse… Rodimus didn't want to think about it. He searched around the devastated Hall as his sight returned over time and then noticed the open door going into the chamber where the quill was found. Spike had to be in there, so Rodimus Prime went inside.

He had to be extra careful on the narrow path since he wasn't completely recovered yet. But the wellbeing of his friend, and Daniel's father, took precedence over his own. The problem was, Rodimus couldn't see Spike anywhere even with his sight fully returned. Rodimus looked over the side of the path and dreaded the worst but as he searched, Spike was struggling to climb onto the path behind him. Rodimus noticed and quickly helped Spike back onto the path. He was breathing fast, as if his life flashed before his eyes.

"You okay, Spike?" Rodimus asked.

"I'm fine, but you better go. You got to stop Alpha Q before he finds that Covenant." Spike said with encouragement to Rodimus.

Rodimus Prime nodded, leaving Spike to recover before heading back out of the chamber. He turned back and said, "Don't go anywhere. I plan on getting you home when this is over." Then he was gone.

Spike sat back, tired beyond belief and then quipped to himself, "Sure, I'll just wait right here."

* * *

><p>Alpha Q was close to the Covenant. He could feel its presence or maybe it was the presence of Starscream in Skyquake's body. In that case, it made Alpha Q almost nervous, but that would hardly be an issue once he had the Covenant in his grasp. They were now in a chamber that seemed half the size and length as the main hall, but a bit more vibrant than it. Alpha Q noticed that the quill seemed to be guiding him somewhere within the chamber, likely to where the Covenant of Primus rested. Ironically, it led to a lone sarcophagus with ornate silver trim. The lid was adorned in the image of Primus with the same silver trim and the addition of gold. It was beautiful, though Alpha Q was hardly interested in décor. He wanted what was inside the sarcophagus.<p>

Starscream was even less impressed with the décor of the chamber, which was more like a tomb for him. He was at least amused by the arrogance of the Autobots to have a final resting place for Primus. Either way, all he wanted was body and the sooner Alpha Q made him one, the sooner he could leave the ludicrously ostentatious body he was using now. It was about as slow as Megatron, and Starscream preferred speed over brute strength in any cycle. That didn't matter now as Alpha Q examined the sarcophagus.

"Finally," he mused. "The Covenant of Primus is within my reach. Who'd have ever consider that it would be resting with the very remains Primus himself?"

"_Who cares,"_ Starscream snapped. _"Just open it already. The sooner this is done, the sooner I get a new body."_

"Patience is a virtue, Starscream. You of all Cybertronians should know that," Alpha Q said and set the quill down gently on the lid. The sarcophagus started to shimmer in a brilliant blue light which Alpha Q shielded his optics. He hated such bright light. Then the light vanished just as quickly. "Starscream, if you please…"

Starscream glared at Alpha Q with utter malice before going over to the sarcophagus. He placed his (Skyquake's) hands on the lid and in one fluid motion pushed the lid clear from the top. The lid, which was made of the same die-cast alloy as the average Transformer, hit the floor with the loudest clang that could possibly be heard. The sound echoed throughout the Hall of Records, reaching the main hall where Rodimus Prime was and he picked up the pace.

Starscream took a momentary glance inside the sarcophagus before Alpha Q shoved out of the way. The gleeful expression on his face quickly faded away. Nothing! The sarcophagus was empty. Alpha Q panicked as he looked in and saw nothing. No Covenant, no remains of Primus. Just nothing.

"This… this can't be," Alpha Q whispered. "This cannot be. Where is the Covenant? Where is it? It's supposed to be right here." Then Alpha Q heard the cocking of a shotgun right behind him.

Starscream was holding Skyquake's shotgun at point blank range. _"Evidently not."_ Starscream sneered.

Alpha Q reacted as quickly as possible and sliced at Starscream with his buzz saw, catching him in the wrist. Then he made a break for the entrance leading out of the chamber when Starscream took a shot at him. His aim was off, and he struck the walls as Alpha Q was near the entrance when he suddenly stopped dead. Rodimus Prime was right in front of him with his arm bladed extended. This gave Starscream the chance to catch Alpha Q in the shoulder and the shot sent the alien flying right into Rodimus. The momentum carried both into the main hall, where Rodimus Prime landed with a heavy clang while Alpha Q several feet passed him. By now his back was smoking and charred, his plans have suddenly and violently taken a nosedive and now worst of all, a fully recovered and equally infuriated Galvatron was standing in his way.

"Q, we need to talk." He fumed.

But Alpha Q was in no mood to speak to a very angry Decepticon and unleashed another Resonance Scream. It wasn't nearly as powerful as before, especially with half Alpha Q's body damaged as it was, but it was enough to subdue Galvatron so Alpha Q could escape. Once he got outside, Alpha Q noticed the rest of the Transformers nearly fully recovered. Without the aid of even his own Predacons, Alpha Q had no chance of survival except to get back to his ship. It was at least intact but then Alpha Q was being fired upon from the Hall of Records by Galvatron. Alpha Q just barely made it on board his ship and closed the hatch before getting to the main control.

The ship began to take off with the Autobots now focusing on it. Their attacks left some minor scorch marks but hardly slowed the ship as it ascended toward the stars. Alpha Q believed himself to be in the clear when the ship was suddenly rocked violent. He checked the readouts and saw to his horror what appeared to be another ship, disheveled and mangled in its appearance.

The Autobots saw the Junkion cruiser and could also hear Wreck-Gar over the intercom singing _**Ride of the Valkyries. **_Aside from all that, the Junkion cruiser continued to fire on the Quintesson vessel. Every volley was dead on and caused plumes of smoke to form around the hull. Inside wasn't in better off as every volley rocked Alpha Q to the floor. Then one volley caused a rupture and Alpha Q was immediately burned on the right side of his face and body. In spite of excessive abuse he'd taken, Alpha Q was at least able to engage the ship's auto-control. That wasn't enough to relieve the lament of his failure.

"It's all ruined; all of it," he mused. "I must escape. I must… Blasted Cybertronian scourge." He bellow to himself as his ship rocketed away in flames.

At the same time, the Junkion cruiser landed to where the Autobots had gathered and Wreck-Gar disembarked. Kup was the first to greet him. "That's some timing, Wreck-Gar? What made you come back?"

"Um, that crazy author promised to make me the star in the next story. I think…" Wreck-Gar said scratching his head. "I don't get fanfiction."

"I still don't have a clue who he's talking about." Springer whispered to Grimlock of all bots. Grimlock had no clue either.

* * *

><p>Rodimus Prime was starting to get when he was suddenly kicked back down by Skyquake, who had the point of his broadsword at the Autobot's neck. "Starscream?"<p>

The hulking Decepticon cocked his head and stated in a cold tone, "Starscream is dead and you're soon to be joining him. Now I don't know how I ended up in here and I don't care, but at least I get to snuff the Spark of the leader of the Autobots. Although, I hardly think fool worthy of such praise."

Rodimus glanced at the point the broadsword and then at Skyquake. "Then make it fast."

Skyquake raised his broadsword directly over his head, ready to strike Rodimus Prime down. But then something unexpected happened; a blast of energy collided with Skyquake and sent him clear across the main hall, through the back and literally through the wall. Skyquake tumbled down toward the lower reaches of Iacon and disappeared. Rodimus Prime couldn't put his finger on what just took place but then he started hard metal footsteps coming toward him from the Hall of Records entrance. Then, much to Rodimus' chagrin, Galvatron stood over him with his particle cannon trained. Rodimus Prime mused to himself that Galvatron couldn't have had a better shot. But much to his surprise, Galvatron instead offered his hand. Rodimus Prime was cautious as he should've been but took his rival's hand, and Galvatron hoisted him up.

"Am I missing something here?" Rodimus Prime said aloud.

"Put simply; nobody kills you, Rodimus Prime, _except_ me," Galvatron snarled and looked toward the gaping hole Skyquake created unceremoniously. "You can't beat Skyquake alone, and neither can I."

"So, you're suggesting…"

"Make no mistake, Rodimus," Galvatron said. "This won't be a recurring event. But…" Galvatron could hear the faint whine of a jet engine. "I have unfinished business with Skyquake, so just this once, I'll try it your way."

Skyquake finally reappeared in alt from, hovering back into the Hall through he created and assumed proto form. He saw to his surprised or lack thereof, Galvatron and Rodimus Prime standing side by side and fully armed with their respective melee weapons. He could see a hint of trepidation, particularly in Rodimus Prime toward Galvatron, who was staring directly at him. Skyquake landed and deployed his broadsword and stared both down his foes. Like he said to Rodimus prior to this moment, he didn't how he ended up in the Hall of Records and didn't care. He glanced at Galvatron, then Rodimus, then Galvatron and back again and tensed.

"If that's how it's going be…" Skyquake took a defensive stance, as did Rodimus Prime and Galvatron. "Let's finish this."

In a shadowy corner of the Hall, Starscream had what the humans would've called the _**Best seats in the house.**__ "Well," he _mused._ "This is going to be fun!"_

* * *

><p>Author's note: You just knew that Starscream was going to make his move at some point. Too bad it didn't go planned. Speaking of which, poor old Alpha Q got his comeuppance, so we won't be seeing him again. The question remains; where is the Covenant of Primus? I don't think Indiana Jones is gonna help<p>

If you'll notice, I made a brief reference to _John Carpenter's The Thing _for no other reason other Alpha Q kind of vaguely reminds me of the alien. The prequel sucked by the way.

Optimus Prime also made a brief appearance here. Make of that what you will.

Wreck-Gar reappears, complete with a brief track of _Ride of the Valkyries. _Hey, it worked. Although I don't know where he got the idea that I promised him the lead in another story. Freak!

The final battle is coming right up, so I'll make it count. I still got to do the Voice Cast but I'll get to that later. Let me know what you think.


	26. Last 'Con Standing

Disclaimer: We're almost there and it's been a hell of a ride. I own nothing, of course.

* * *

><p>Chapter XXVI<p>

Earth: Oregon Mountains  
>Autobot City Limits<p>

The remaining Autobots began picking up the pieces left over from Trypticon's rampage, with the Wreckers and the Dinobots doing most of the heavy lifting. Metroplex had returned to his mobile station form and kept vigil over the city. If the Decepticons attacked again, unlikely as it was, Metroplex would be ready. The Aerialbots had taken off to search for the remains of Trypticon. In the end, all the found was half his head, the optics completely dimmed. It was a common example of biology; the body couldn't survive without the brain. It was safe to safe that Trypticon was very much offline. That did nothing to change the reality that a number of Autobots were also lost; Tailgate, Bluestreak, Grapple, Hoist, Seaspray and the Protectobots. In addition, there was still no word from Jazz. Only a few short Earth hours ago, he'd rushed back into the crumbling Autobot Headquarters to rescue Bumblebee.

This knowledge had Blaster deeply concerned. Jazz and Bumblebee were his closest friends. A lot of Autobots were his friends, many of them lost, but Jazz and Bumblebee were as close as brothers to him. Blaster busied himself with trying to reestablish communication with them somehow. If they were alive, than a rescue party would be sent. If they were dead, then… then they'd be mourned. Outback entered the room after helping coordinate the cleanup with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, but Blaster barely noticed him.

"Autobot City to Headquarters, come in, over? This is Autobot City calling Headquarters, over," Blaster called and received only static. "Jazz, this is Blaster, you readin' me? Jazz, are you readin' me, come in, over?"

"Any luck, Blaster?" Outback said with genuine concern.

Blaster whipped his hand in the air in frustration. "Nothin', not even a whisper. Blaster to Jazz, Bumblebee… anybody. Say somethin'! Please!"

Outback put his hand on Blaster's shoulder. "It's okay, Blaster. It's okay."

Blaster met Outback's optics, momentarily forgetting about the size difference between the two of them. It only occurred to Blaster that he was slumped in the chair and had been for who knows how long. He didn't want to quit but even he had to acknowledge the fact that for all intents and purposes, Jazz and Bumblebee weren't coming back. Outback knew that too and he'd at times considered himself fortunate that he'd survived to be rebuilt after the Decepticons attacked the shuttle on that fateful day. He wasn't much of a believer in life after death, but Outback hoped that Ironhide and Ratchet and the others were, how the humans would put it, putting in a good word for him. Outback took a final look at Blaster before taking his leave, and Blaster was about to shut the comm. link down when a faint pang of static came through. At first Blaster and Outback disregarded it as white noise before it started to sound like a voice, garbled and slightly unintelligible. But then it became familiar and Blaster listened closely.

_"… readin' me? This is… anybody out…"_ It did sound familiar to Blaster and he let it continue as it cleared up. _"C'mon some… talk to me."_

Now Blaster was sure and he responded quickly. "Jazz, is that you? Say something, buddy."

_"Blaster… had a feelin' you were still kickin' it old school,"_ Jazz responded through the nearly clear up static. _"I'm trapped under in the base with Bumblebee. We're both beat up from that rockslide though, so a little help would be much appreciated."_

Blaster glanced at Outback with a smirk and said, "Hang tight, Jazz. Help's on the way," Blaster turned back to Outback. "Get Drift; tell him and his team to get the sight of the mountain base ASAP."

Outback nodded and hustled out of the comm. tower thinking to himself, _Finally some good news!_

* * *

><p>Cybertron<br>Iacon Hall of Records

Rodimus Prime knew he was in for the fight of his life against the stronger and more battle hardened Skyquake, even though he had help from Galvatron of all beings. That still made him nervous since Galvatron could turn on him at any time. The thing was, as much as Galvatron hated Rodimus, he hated Skyquake even more. And, what was to stop Galvatron from turning on Rodimus once they'd dealt with Skyquake? The answer would've come had Rodimus not ducked under a wild swipe from Skyquake's broadsword.

With his arm blades deployed, Rodimus Prime went on defense against the relentless assault from Skyquake, periodically taking any offensive advantage that came. Whenever Skyquake missed, which was on certain occasion, Rodimus quickly struck back and swift strikes to the larger Decepticon's limbs. That at least helped slow Skyquake down, but then Skyquake grazed Rodimus and knocked him down. As Skyquake went the final blow, Galvatron suddenly and violently tackled him down. They hit the steel floor of the Hall of Records, righted themselves and fought it out.

Galvatron had been waiting for this and with his sword deployed and his rage at its peak, charged Skyquake. Skyquake went on defense against the fury of Galvatron, blocking and dodging a series of swipes and attempting to counterattack when even he could. Rodimus Prime recovered and joined in the fray, and both leaders from both factions took the fight to the lone Transformer of no allegiance. Skyquake fought them both off with hardly any effort whatsoever and kicked Rodimus Prime back down to the floor before refocusing on Galvatron. Galvatron didn't let up as he continued his relentless attack. But the Skyquake found an opening and kneed Galvatron in the chassis, hoisted him up and threw him right through the wall of the Hall of Records.

As he was plummeting toward the depths of Iacon, Galvatron assumed spacecraft and rocket back toward the Hall. Inside, Rodimus Prime and Skyquake were still locked in furious battle, with Skyquake still on offense. Rodimus Prime still fought on like his life depended on it, because it did. Galvatron armed his alt mode weapons and fired at Skyquake, striking him in the back before rocketing right toward him. Skyquake turned around just in time to see Galvatron assume proto form and plow right into him. The momentum carried both right out of the Hall and onto the main battlefield, where the other Autobots had scattered out of the way.

Back in the Hall, Rodimus Prime recovered while Spike rushed to him. "Spike, I need you to regroup with the others in the Hall while I finish this fight."

"You do realize that Galvatron might turn on you, right?" Spike pointed out.

"Pretty much!" Rodimus Prime quipped and rushed back into the fray.

Skyquake had Galvatron pinned and waylaid him with a series of punches while Galvatron fought back from underneath. Skyquake even pinned Galvatron's head down while snarling, "You don't deserve to lead the Decepticons."

Galvatron fought back, palming Skyquake face. "And, you don't deserve to live!"

Skyquake knocked Galvatron's hand from his face and prepared to finish him off when he heard the sound of a motor approaching. He looked back and saw the red and orange truck form of Rodimus Prime speeding toward him, and the distraction allowed Galvatron to kick him off. Galvatron rolled away while Skyquake assumed alt form and jetted out of the way, letting Rodimus Prime barrel passed him. Skyquake jetted away to gain some distance before banking around and back again. Rodimus Prime assumed proto form and opened fire on the oncoming jet, scoring a few hits. Skyquake took the shots and picked up speed, and Rodimus saw that at that speed, he wouldn't survive the impact and he'd have next to no time to move. At the last second, Galvatron tackled Rodimus Prime out of the way and Skyquake jetted right by.

The two leaders got up immediately, redeployed their melee weapons and stood their ground against Skyquake, who assumed proto form once more and deployed his own weapon. Then in a surprise, Skyquake revealed his broadsword to be double-sided as he held it like a staff. A standoff followed with all of them waiting for the other to make the next move. Rodimus Prime and Galvatron exchanged wary glances before Galvatron charged Skyquake head on and Rodimus followed. Galvatron struck first as he tried to drive his sword directly toward Skyquake only for the latter to sidestep. Skyquake went for a quick swipe from behind but Galvatron turned and blocked the blow before reverse kicking him in the back of the head.

Galvatron staggered forward but it gave Rodimus Prime the chance to strike fast. Rodimus took it to Skyquake with a relentless series of swipes with his arm blade, quickly putting Skyquake on defense. Galvatron joined in and both leaders began working as one against the larger lone wolf Decepticon. It was hardly a problem for Skyquake as he more then held his own against both opponents. He struck whenever he found an opening, which was more often than not, but Rodimus and Galvatron had about the same luck. Following a flurry, the three of them backed off.

Skyquake alternated glances at both leaders and chuckled, "Is that it? Is that you've got?"

Rodimus and Galvatron again exchanged looks and Rodimus said to Galvatron, "After you!"

"Gladly!" Galvatron snarled and again charged.

Skyquake quickly threw his double sided broadsword to block a series of overhead swipes from Galvatron. Galvatron quickly switched to horizontal attacks with Skyquake still managing to block most of them while parrying others. Rodimus Prime then joined in and attacked with ultra fast blows from his blades. Skyquake weathered the storm before going on the attack, putting both Galvatron and Rodimus Prime on defense. His attacks capitalize on the advantage of having a duel-sided weapon, which he used to keep both faction leaders at bay while going for repeated strikes. A moment came when Skyquake parrying a strike from Galvatron and then kicked him back.

With Galvatron momentarily disposed of, Skyquake concentrated on Rodimus Prime with a furious assault. Rodimus Prime played defense before he was able to find a quick opening and catch Skyquake in the shoulder. Skyquake staggered back and this allowed Galvatron to return to the fight. Galvatron went for a wild slash right at Skyquake's head only for Skyquake to duck under and try a quick slash. It was blocked by Galvatron who then pushed back and again tried a sudden slash, catching Skyquake in the forearm. Skyquake parrying the next swipe and caught Galvatron across the chassis just as Rodimus Prime rejoined the fight.

Rodimus Prime began moving quickly while parrying attack after attack from Skyquake while Galvatron landed another slice across Skyquake's back. Skyquake still kept fight, spinning his weapon over his head and then bringing it to bear on Rodimus. Rodimus barely dodged it and answering with a swift thrust of his right arm blade that Skyquake avoided. Then Galvatron went for a wild slice that Skyquake ducked under, and the errant attack was coming right at Rodimus Prime who had little time to avoid. Rodimus was barely able to block the attack after which he and Galvatron exchanged glances. The distraction allowed Skyquake to beat them both back to either side of him.

Galvatron and Rodimus Prime regrouped side by side as Skyquake charged them at the same time. He began moving at a more rapid, more vicious pace, but Rodimus and Galvatron managed to keep up. From there, the fight was fast and furious with no one able to hold the advantage for very long. Throughout the fight, every one of them came away with battle scars.

Rodimus Prime and Galvatron separated to either side of Skyquake and attacked one at a time to keep him off balance. That would've worked if Skyquake didn't have the use of his duel-sided broadsword, and he was able to keep them at bay easily. But then Skyquake made a critical, if uncharacteristic error when he deployed his shotgun. He took a shot at Rodimus Prime, who barely dodged the blast. But when he aimed his gun at Galvatron, the Decepticon leader struck and sliced the shotgun in half. Then Galvatron decided to return the favor by aiming his particle cannon at Skyquake. Skyquake used his weapon to pole vault and kick Galvatron down.

Skyquake momentarily forgot about Rodimus Prime when the Autobot leader fired his energy crossbow at his back. The bolt embedded into the armor and to the surprise of Skyquake, detonated in tiny explosions. Skyquake was rocked and shocked at the same time, giving Galvatron the chance to launch himself into him. The two Decepticons tumbled from the battlefield and down toward the subsurface of Iacon, leaving Rodimus Prime to recover and plan his next move.

Galvatron and Skyquake beat each other with utter fury as they fell downward, each one landing blow after blow with their bare hands. They ripped at each other and threw each other off, only for one to return and continue the free fall faceoff every time. Skyquake managed to drive his knee into Galvatron's chassis and followed up with a stiff uppercut before Galvatron drove his elbow twice into Skyquake's face. Then Galvatron backhanded Skyquake followed by a head butt before Skyquake kicked him clear. Galvatron was now hovering in midair as was Skyquake, and he opened fire on him quickly. Skyquake was about to fire back but forgot that his shotgun was destroyed, leaving him without a long ranged weapon. Galvatron knew that too and deployed his sword.

Skyquake deployed his duel-side broadsword and he and Galvatron rocketed right at each other. Their weapons collided, sparks flying from the blades before they broke off and then Galvatron charged forward. Skyquake went for a wide swipe that Galvatron ducked under, and then Galvatron tried a backward swipe with Skyquake ducking under. Skyquake attempted to turn and parry but Galvatron avoided the blade and tried another slash. Their weapons crossed again before Skyquake backed off. Suddenly, bolts of light rained down on Skyquake and he looked up to see Rodimus Prime firing on him from the main battlefield.

The retched Prime above him and the insane Decepticon in front of him, Skyquake began to realize he might have gotten in over his head. Good; more reason to prove his superiority. Galvatron charged right at that moment and Skyquake transformed and launched straight up, straight toward Rodimus. Galvatron transformed and followed while firing his alt form guns at Skyquake. On the battlefield, Rodimus Prime rolled out of the way as Skyquake jetted up passed with Galvatron in pursuit. Skyquake stopped dead, assumed alt form and let Galvatron jet right by him before grabbing hold of him. Then he spun the spacecraft around as fast as he could before release it. Galvatron tumbled back down to the battlefield uncontrollably, transforming at the last moment and slamming into the steel. He skidded passed Rodimus Prime and tumbled over the edge. Rodimus tried to catch, reliving that exact same moment from when they were both trapped inside of Unicron. Only this time he wasn't nearly quick enough, and Galvatron fell down.

Rodimus Prime noticed that Galvatron wasn't transforming as he fell. Again it was like a repeat of Unicron as Galvatron disappeared. Skyquake landed hard and deployed his melee weapon, drawing Rodimus Prime attention when he pointed his way. Rodimus knew right then as he deployed his arm blades that he'd now have to face Skyquake alone. He charged with his right arm extended and his left to the side, while Skyquake readied himself for what he expected to be easy picking.

But to his utter surprise, Rodimus Prime began attacking with increased fury that Skyquake expected out of Galvatron. Rodimus Prime began changing up his attacks, using his arm blades at extremely close range and his crossbow at long range. He also used sheer brute strength combine with lighting fast reflexes. Skyquake attempted to match Rodimus Prime's furious assault and was somewhat successful, but the sheer intensity with which Rodimus Prime fought… It was as if Skyquake was fighting another Prime. Like maybe… Optimus Prime.

But Rodimus was not Optimus, and Skyquake decided it was time to remind him of that. He waited for Rodimus Prime to slip up while mixing defense with offense, attacks with counterattack. Rodimus Prime hopped up and over Skyquake and slashing his back and rolled away with Skyquake tried to swipe. After gaining some distance, Rodimus Prime transformed and raced right toward Skyquake. A heavy collision followed and Skyquake found himself tackling the force of an oncoming red and orange flamed truck. Rodimus gunned his engine, spun his wheels and forced Skyquake back. Skyquake literally had to dig his feet into the steel ground while forcibly holding Rodimus Prime at bay.

"I've got to admit, you've got more fight in you than Galvatron," Skyquake snarled at the vehicle. "But in the end, if you stand before me," Skyquake then hoisted the truck up over him with all his strength and tossed across the field. Rodimus transformed back his proto form and tumbled toward the edge where Galvatron fell. Skyquake continued, "You will ultimate fall before me."

Rodimus Prime was slow to get up as Skyquake closed on him, but he was up and ready to fight. But he was fatigued, only his right arm was up and his left was to the side. His arm blades were worn and his crossbow exhausted of energy. But Rodimus Prime was still standing. In a way, Skyquake admired the Autobot leader, but now was the time to end it. He sprinted forward with his melee weapon off to the side and went for a tight slash. Rodimus just barely blocked the slash and then blocked a second slash from the left side.

Skyquake relentlessly increased his assault while, from inside the Hall of Records, Arcee was sure she watching the end of Rodimus Prime. She made a move to help, not knowing what she could do, but Ultra Magnus stopped her. "No, Arcee. It's too dangerous." He said.

"We've got to help Rodimus, Magnus." Arcee snapped.

"I'm sorry, Arcee." Magnus said, and Arcee knew he was right. Her getting in the way could get Rodimus killed; just like Optimus.

Despite being dominated by Skyquake, Rodimus Prime just kept fighting. As his legs began buckling under him, Rodimus still fought. Skyquake showed no sign of slowing down his assault, but Rodimus still fought. He went for a series of wild swipes, none of which were able to break Skyquake's defense. In desperation, Rodimus tackled Skyquake and was actually able to force him back several steps. Skyquake answered by literally hammering Rodimus in the back and then kneeing him in the face. Rodimus fell back and was immediately back up on his feet and he just kept fighting ferociously. Skyquake again weather the storm until he finally sliced one of Rodimus Prime's arm blades.

Rodimus Prime staggered back holding his wrist in pain, and then Skyquake kicked him back to the edge. Skyquake stood over Rodimus and simply but viciously kicked him repeatedly. It was all too much for Arcee to take and she bounded out in alt mode. Ultra Magnus tried and failed to stop. Arcee didn't know what she possibly could do against Skyquake and she didn't care. Skyquake continued to pound Rodimus Prime when he saw Arcee racing toward him. Using his duel-sided broadsword, Skyquake went to slice Arcee's wheels out from under her but Arcee transformed at the last second.

Arcee took the fight to Skyquake despite the obvious size difference. But Arcee made up for her small size with something Skyquake didn't have; speed. Skyquake went for a swipe but Arcee ducked and answered back with a straight kick to his face. Arcee hit another kick and another, striking Skyquake at different points of his body. Skyquake tried to attack but Arcee was too fast for him and eventually, Skyquake was down on one knee. Arcee didn't let up with even more kicks across the face of Skyquake and she kept up the assault. All this was at the least buying Rodimus Prime time to recover.

Skyquake still took blow after blow from Arcee until he finally caught her left leg. Then he grasped Arcee by the neck and lifted her up. Arcee struggled as Skyquake snarled, "You female Autobots have some Spark. I'll make you watch as I tear yours out."

Before Skyquake could finish Arcee off, Rodimus Prime struck by driving his one remaining arm blade into the side of Skyquake. Skyquake writhed and toss Arcee aside before refocusing on Rodimus. He punched him down and then kicked hard enough to send Rodimus over the edge. Rodimus managed to grasp the edge and he held as Skyquake stood tall over him. Skyquake checked his newest wound, energon fluid leaking from it. But it was hardly slowing him down and to show it, he stepped on Rodimus Prime's hands. Rodimus held on but he could feel his grip slipping, while Skyquake grinding them with the heel of his foot.

"This has been amusing but as I said; you stand before and you fall before me," Skyquake raised his weapon up over his head, ready to deliver the final blow. But he was unaware of the spacecraft looming up behind him. Skyquake then added, "Cybertron deserves a leader and that leader… will… be… me."

"For once, I'm in agreement," Quickly assuming alt form, Galvatron fired his particle cannon. Skyquake turned at the last second but was too late to avoid the blast which landed a crippling blow. "Sadly," Galvatron said. "That leader _won't_ be you."

Skyquake sank to his knees and tried to feel where the blast caught him, right where his side used to be. Using his broadsword to hoist himself up, Skyquake attempted to make a move only for Galvatron to blast him again in the left shoulder. Still, Skyquake rose up and advanced even when Galvatron shot him again in the right thigh. Rodimus was attempting to pull himself up and watched utter astonishment as Galvatron took one more shot at Skyquake. Skyquake finally stopped advancing and stayed on his knees. His tried to use his broadsword to stand up but Galvatron kicked it away and aimed his cannon at his head.

"You… you don't have the Spark." Skyquake said in defiance. Galvatron lowered his cannon and appeared to turn away. Then Skyquake uttered, "Coward!"

Galvatron deployed his sword and swiftly ran Skyquake all the way through, twisting it in the armor. Galvatron grasped Skyquake's head and snarled in his face, "At least _I_ have a Spark."

Then Galvatron pulled his sword free, and Skyquake slumped to the side. His optics flicked and finally dimmed. Galvatron cocked his head and turned his attention to Rodimus Prime, who was still trying to pull himself up. To his surprise, Galvatron offered his hand. Warily, Rodimus accepted the gesture and Galvatron pulled him up. They stared each other down and then Galvatron slammed his fist into Rodimus Prime's face, knocking Rodimus down. Galvatron aimed his particle cannon at Rodimus.

"Now that Skyquake has been dealt with, I finish what you started, Rodimus Prime," Galvatron then heard a cocking sound that wasn't from his gun. He angrily snarled the name, "Blitzwing."

Sure enough, Blitzwing of all bots was standing behind Galvatron with his gun to his head. "I can't let you do that, Galvatron."

Rodimus was starting to get up as Arcee rushed to his side, while Galvatron was seething and said, "You actually have the audacity to hold me at gunpoint. Are you that eager to be terminated?"

"Look around you," Blitzwing shouted. "The Quintessons are gone. The other Decepticons are gone. The fight's over."

"The fight will never be over as long as the Autobots function." Galvatron snapped.

"You just don't get it… Alpha Q used us. Skyquake played us, and you are just too damn blinded by your hatred of the Autobots to see it," Blitzwing stepped around Galvatron and stood beside Rodimus Prime. "Rodimus Prime's proven himself a better leader than you'd ever be, because he sees the big picture. So if you want to kill him, you'll have to kill me first."

Galvatron aimed his cannon right at Blitzwing's face. "That, I can do." But as Galvatron was ready pull the trigger, the rest of the Autobots arrived and surrounded him. Galvatron knew now, as much as he hated to admit it, he was outnumbered and outgunned. "Damn!"

"I don't like you're chances." Blitzwing said.

Galvatron lowered his cannon and glared at Rodimus Prime. "This isn't over, Rodimus Prime, not by a long shot," Then he glared at Blitzwing and said, "As for you, Blitzwing, consider yourself exiled from the Decepticons. If I ever see you again, either by design or coincidence, I will personally end you."

Blitzwing simply tore off his Decepticon insignia and threw it at Galvatron's feet, after which Galvatron launched himself into the sky, assumed alt form and rocketed off toward the stars. The Autobots watched Galvatron vanish before turning their attention to the one remaining Decepticon among them. Springer, Kup, Wreck-Gar and Elita One deployed their weapons. Grimlock had his sword and shield deployed and was spoiling for a fight while Blackarachnia held the Predacons back. Ultra Magnus and Spike joined up with Arcee as Rodimus Prime approached Blitzwing, the only Autobot now armed. Instead, Rodimus held on his hand.

"Thanks, Blitzwing." he said.

Blitzwing studied the hand and said, "For what? I didn't do any of this for you."

"But you came through when it mattered," Rodimus Prime pointed out. "You saw through Alpha Q's plan, and that's commitment we could use."

Blitzwing chuckled. "You mean if I join the Autobots, like Tempest or Quickswitch?"

"We're not exactly as _cut & dry _as the Decepticons, but it beats the alternative of being in exile." Ultra Magnus said.

Blitzwing looked at Rodimus, then Magnus and then Rodimus again. He turned away and started walking, then stopped. Without turning back, Blitzwing simply said, "I'll think about it." Blitzwing then transformed into jet form and rocketed toward the stars.

The Autobots watched Blitzwing go and Ultra Magnus said to Rodimus Prime, "You think he'll come around?"

Rodimus Prime simply said, "No!"

Ultra Magnus turned back toward the Hall of Records, now much more worn and torn than ever. "Too bad we never found the Covenant."

Rodimus glanced at Magnus and said, "Maybe it's better that it's never found. We've look into the face our creators… and seen the face of the enemy."

"Now that that's all over, I just have one very important question," Spike stated and then exasperatedly asked, "Can we go home now?"

* * *

><p>Unbeknownst to the Autobots, a subsurface beneath the hall of Records remained undisturbed during the battle. There was no light within except for a very faint blue glow amid some rumble. Upon closer inspection, the blue light seemed to originate from a type of book. The front of the book, the glowing blue light, shined in the image of the Autobot insignia. The Covenant of Primus would forever continue to occupy its final resting place, undisturbed and discovered for all time.<p>

* * *

><p>Author note: Phew, that's was a long one. Actually, this might be the longest chapter of this story to date, which I think was ultimately by necessity.<p>

That said, the Autobots have won the battle, Skyquake is dead and, the Covenant of Primus remains undiscovered as it should be. It's too much power for one being.

Plus, it sounds like Jazz and Bumblebee are alive. But what's their condition?

What about Alpha Q? Where does he go from here?

About Blitzwing… well, we'll see what happens with him. Let me know what you think.


	27. Closure & Epilogue

Disclaimer: This is it; the final chapter and epilogue to a kick-ass story. I'll skip the disclaimer and move into the final stretch.

Oh, and I want to send a shout-out to Darkmachines, FanFactor1996 and Megagalvatron12 for your unflinching support. You rock harder than Stan Bush; Thank You.

* * *

><p>Chapter XXVII<p>

Deep Space  
>Location: Unknown<p>

It wasn't supposed to happen like this. Within the halfway crippled Quintesson vessel, the badly wounded Alpha Q lamented the failure of his plan. By now, he resolved that Skyquake was dead, the Autobots were victorious and the Decepticons defeated. How did it all fall apart so quickly? Alpha Q expected to have the Covenant of Primus in his grasp, expected to rewrite history. Instead, he was accosted by various setbacks, including the involvement of Starscream, who somehow possessed Skyquake and seemed to want to assist Q. This was in exchange for a new body. Then when it was revealed that Covenant was missing, Starscream predictably turned on Alpha Q, then Galvatron went on the warpath and Alpha Q barely escaped with his life.

Alpha Q painfully reached for an audio log and activated it. "Quintesson Journal entry 5491.6: The plan has been undone. The Autobots and the Decepticons are far from the lowly machines we created so long. Though they mired in near endless civil war, they will stand together against a common threat. This was evident in the destruction of Unicron," Alpha Q stopped for a moment to collect his though even he was writhing in pain and continued. "They have proven to be unruly and thus cannot be ruled. I have…"

Alpha Q suddenly felt something. It wasn't another writhing sensation of utter pain, but given his most recent experiences, it was much worse. Despite his mostly mechanical body, Alpha Q felt the cold chill another presence, both in and out of the ship. _Omnipotent _was an adequate term to described said presence. Whatever it was had Alpha Q shivering in his place, and then the ship's command center seemed to darken. The main view port, the stars outside the ship, all seemed to disappear and Alpha Q felt as if he was in total darkness. Then something else appeared where the stars were; two glowing violet eyes. The sight of them left Alpha Q in a state of pure terror, so much so that he was backing away. The eyes seemed to follow him even though they stayed in place.

"**Alpha Q,"** a deep, commanding and uttering horrifying voice spoke. **"You have failed me."**

Alpha Q cringed at the voice. "My… my master… I urge you to listen."

"**You urge me?"** said the voice with a clear of amusement.

"Please, none of the most recent events were of my own fault. It was Skyquake," Alpha Q said in a whimpering tone. "His impatience and his recklessness cost us everything on Cybertron. I tried to be a voice of reason…"

"**I AM NOT INTERESTED IN YOUR PETTY EXCUSES,"** the voice bellowed, seeming shaking the ship. **"I came to you with the simple task of acquiring the Covenant of Primus by any and all means, and instead, you return with nothing but utter incompetence."**

"Master, please hear me…" Alpha Q said.

"**Be silent, worm,"** the voice said. **"The Covenant of Primus was to be the key to my return, and because of you inane blunder, I am further trapped in this shapeless limbo."**

Alpha Q cringed at every word from his apparent master and whimpered, "There may another way, master. The Covenant is not the only artifact left behind by the Primes. There is still the Matrix of Leadership, which…"

"…**rests in the hands of the one called Rodimus Prime,"** the voice finished. **"…the Autobot who destroyed Unicron."**

"Y… yes master, and I will dedicate every ounce of my being to claim in your name," Alpha Q exclaimed, to mere silence from his master. "I will not fail you again."

"**No," **the voice said and the violet eyes began to glow. **"You will _never_ fail me again."**

There was a moment when Alpha Q might've appeased his master enough to allow him a second chance. But as the eyes glowed a sinister looking violet, Alpha Q's glee became fright. Without warning, a violet beam shot from the eyes and struck Alpha Q. The light was so bright that it showed from inside the Quintesson ship and illuminated the portion of space the ship rested. Alpha Q's screams of pain and anguish could be heard from inside the ship, though it was in space that no one could ever hear it. Then the screams stopped and the light dimmed, returning the immediate space to darkness. Inside the ship, Alpha Q was still vertical but his body was charred beyond recognition. He slumped to the side and disintegrated into nothing but ash.

The voice then stated, **"You will never have the chance to fail me again, Alpha Q. This task I will entrust to the other."**

* * *

><p>Elsewhere across the galaxy, a lone ship drifted aimlessly. Inside was a single passenger sat in the dimly lit cockpit, sitting in a state of contemplation. He had a gleam in his figure that suggested he was made of a metallic substance. The darkness began to form around him and then the violet eyes appeared before him. He looked with a set of piercing blue optics and gaze at the eyes. Unlike Alpha Q, he felt no such fear before the eyes.<p>

"**You are needed."** The voice proclaimed.

The figure simply returned to his state of thought and asked, "What would you have me do?"

* * *

><p>Earth: Oregon Mountains<br>Site of Autobot Headquarters

It took a long time before the Wreckers were able to get through the rubble and into the remains of the Autobot's now former mountain. Stratosphere, Depth Charge and Bulkhead did most of the heavy lifting while Drift, Roulette and Airazor blasted the rubble apart. Superion and the Dinobots assist in their own way. There was some progress, not a lot, but then Bulkhead reached into the rubble, half-expecting to lose his arm. He felt something grab his arm; something metallic. Bulkhead reached in further and felt a hand in his own.

"I've got something." he shouted and started pulling as hard as he could.

A voice beneath the rubble suddenly called out, "Yo, be careful. I need that arm."

"Yeah, yeah!" Bulkhead responded as he pulled Jazz out of the rubble.

Jazz was clearly injured after the collapse, his right arm dangling to the side, his visor cracked and the rest of his chassis dented and burned. Depth Charge and Roulette helped Jazz off to the side while Bulkhead reached back into the rubble for Bumblebee. By the time he was pulled out, it was clear that Bumblebee was as beaten up as Jazz. He was leaking energon fluid from his torso and from under his left optic. Despite the damage, both were at least still functional and were seated down to rest when Drift knelt down beside them.

"You two okay?" he asked.

Jazz laughed. "Hey, we'll live. It ain't every cycle when your gets trashed by a giant Decepticon lizard-thing. But, I'm thinking now might be a good time for an upgrade."

Drift chuckled. "We'll talk to Wheeljack about that," Drift turned to the other Wreckers. "Let's get them back to city for repairs..." Drift stopped and pressed his fingers to his head. "Blaster, go ahead…"

Daniel and Carly were present along, having insisted on accompanying the Wreckers in the rescue. "Bee, you alright, buddy?" Bumblebee looked down at Daniel and tried to speak, but of course that was next to impossible given the damage to his vocoder. He nodded instead and added a few blips. "I'll take that as a _yeah_."

"Wheeljack and Perceptor will get you both fixed up before you know it." Carly added when Drift approached.

"Carly, Daniel, I just got from Blaster. Rodimus Prime and his crew are on their way back to Earth on a Junkion ship," Drift explained and looked at Daniel. "You're Dad's coming home, Daniel."

Daniel breathed a sigh of relief and Carly exclaimed, "Thank Heaven."

"One thing though: from what I've heard," Drift continued. "They have to make a detour on route."

Carly and Daniel exchanged confused looks and Daniel asked, "What detour?"

* * *

><p>The Junkion cruiser was a section of space previously uncharted and untraveled, approaching a planet that at first glanced look similar to Earth. Only much… greener than normal. The ship entered the atmosphere of the planet slowly and carefully while maintaining altitude. Then it began its descent amid a lush landscape of unusual looking shrubbery, massive trees ranging as far as the eye (or optic) could see. The Junkion cruiser landed surprisingly gentle and without as much as a slip up. The main hatch opened and the Predacons began to disembark one by one. First Razorclaw, then Rampage and Divebomb who came flying out ahead. Tantrum came leaping out next and Headstrong was the last to disembark from the ship. Like any wildlife, they quickly spread out as from out of the ship came Blackarachnia in proto form. Elita One followed her out. They looked in awe at their surroundings.<p>

"This is so not like Cybertron." Elita One said. Blackarachnia didn't seem to hear her. "Blackarachnia?"

"It's so… beautiful. It's not tainted but the Quintessons, or the Decepticons," Blackarachnia mused to herself even though Elita One could hear her, and then she turned toward Elita. "I want to apologize."

"For what?" Elita asked.

"I blamed you for what Alpha Q did to me. I was angry, so full of rage and at times, even helpless," Blackarachnia explained. "I… wanted to kill you. I wanted to make you suffer. I was so wrong and I'm so sorry."

Elita One honestly never thought she'd ever those words coming from Blackarachnia and stepped toward her. "No," she said. "No, I'm sorry. I should've come back to save you back then. I didn't and you, Moonracer and Firestar… Alpha Q killed them because I let you all down. Not a cycle goes by when I don't think turning back time and changing everything."

"You know you wouldn't survive such an effort, Elita. To be honest, you shouldn't," Blackarachnia stated. "I can take comfort in knowing that Firestar and Moonracer have found some peace, and I know I'll see them again someday. For now, I'm content with where I am."

Elita One looked around at the trees and shrubbery and felt as if she could see a hint of synthetic in the plants. "Are you sure you want to stay here? The Autobots on Earth; they can build you a new body. I might take time but…"

"It would matter. Even if everything on the outside could be change, I'm always going to be the same on inside," Blackarachnia explained. "Besides, I kind of like the way I look, and," Blackarachnia toward the Predacons. "They need me. They're the closest I have to… family."

Blackarachnia began to walk toward the Predacons and they reacted to her as if they were her pets; her children. She stood in between them and knelt down, petting Razorclaw and Tantrum on the head. Divebomb perched himself on her should and she rubbed his beak while Rampage and Headstrong sat down beside her. Then, one by one, the Predacons started moving away from Blackarachnia and into the wilderness of the jungle-like planet. Blackarachnia herself started to follow. Elita One wanted to follow but knew Blackarachnia had already made her decision.

Instead, Elita One simply said, "Goodbye, Blackarachnia. Til all are one."

Blackarachnia stopped and turned to look at Elita for the final time. She said, "My name is _Chromia._" Then she assumed her Black Widow form and jumped out of sight.

Elita One stood there for what seemed like an eternity, wondering what was next for her. As much as she wanted to follow Blackarachnia into the jungle, to try to convince her to come to Earth, that wasn't going to happen. Elita herself had never been to Earth and she'd have loved for Blackarachnia to join her. Not exactly prudent but… Elita turned back toward the ship, where she found Ultra Magnus waiting at the top of the ramp. He waited there for Elita to make the slow climb back onto the Junkion cruiser just as the engines started up. Elita made to the top of the ramp and Ultra Magnus' optics. They both looked at toward the trees and wondered where Blackarachnia and the Predacons had gone.

"You think she'll be alright on her own?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"I don't know, Dion," Elita said using Ultra Magnus' original name. "But she deserves to find some closure. Let's get out of here; I'm eager to see Earth for the first time."

Ultra Magnus chuckled and said, "Trust me, Elita; I think you'll like it."

Ultra Magnus and Elita One reentered the ship as the ramp closed behind them. Inside, Rodimus Prime was in the cockpit with Wreck-Gar at the helm while Springer, Kup, Arcee, Grimlock and Spike were settled. Rodimus inwardly wondered the same thing that Elita did about Blackarachnia. He doubted she'd really fit in on Earth. Rodimus was also concerned about the Decepticons; they were beaten today but what about tomorrow. With Galvatron back in the fold, odds were that the Decepticons would be back sooner or later. Rodimus probably would've preferred later rather that sooner but either, the Autobots would be ready. For right now, the one and only present thing on the mind of the leader of the Autobots was keeping a promise to Spike, and that promise was getting him home to his family.

Rodimus Prime tapped Wreck-Gar's shoulder and said, "Okay, you've got the coordinates, Wreck-Gar. Take us home."

* * *

><p><em>Epilogue<em>

_The question of whether Rodimus Prime could endure the great burden of leadership has been answered. He has been greatly tested, by the Quintessons, by the Decepticons and by even Primus himself, and I know now with certainty that Rodimus Prime is worthy. The Matrix has chosen well. But he must remain ever vigilant, for while the Decepticons are defeated now, they will eventually return once more to cast a shadow on this lasting peace. This event was the first of many for young Rodimus Prime, and many challenges lay ahead, none of them easy. But he need not face them alone._

_I watch as my brethren return to the world I perished to protect, where I passed the Matrix of Leadership on to Ultra Magnus. It was the moment that neither of us expected the Matrix to choose Rodimus as my successor. Perhaps I had known but I could have fathomed it. I continue to watch as the Autobots reunite within the wall of the city, the city that now exists as the mighty Metroplex. He is now that ultimate beacon of hope against the transgressions of any force that would dare threaten the planet Earth._

_As Rodimus Prime promised, Spike has been reunited with his loved ones. It is truly a warm sight to see a family brought back together after overcoming great odd. It is another reason of why I have grown to love them all. I look upon Elita One and while I see she has found closure, I feel as though she may never be the same. She has lost so much, and yet she has gained an equal measure. She sets foot on Earth for the first time and in that moment, she finally finds true peace._

_For their devotion to the Autobot cause, the Wreckers have earned their place and the respect of the humans with whom they fought. The humans, Fairborne and Lennox, salute the Wreckers and among them, Depth Charge is the first to respond. The other Wreckers soon follow suit._

_Yet, even as I look on with hope, my Spark still weighs heavy for the Autobots who gave their lives to protect all that they know and love. Their Sparks join those of their lost brethren and find lasting peace. May they forever be remembered as the greatest of both Cybertron and Earth. What the future holds for Rodimus Prime and the Autobots and the human race, I cannot say. But I shall watch over them from now until the very end of time._

_I am the Spark of Optimus Prime and as I look upon my breathren, I know that they will protect the world they call home. Should any dare threaten the planet Earth, be they Decepticon, Quintesson or any other great evil, the Autobots will stand ever ready and vigilant. They will fight. They will win._

* * *

><p>Author's note: That's it for this bad boy and "HOLY CLIFFHANGER, BATMAN!"<p>

Just in case you haven't figured it out, it appears that Alpha Q wasn't the grand puppet master of the whole thing, as he clearly answered to another. I'll leave the speculation up to ya'll.

As for Blackarchnia, she's found closure and forgiven Elita One, even calling herself by her original name. She and the Predacons have finally found peace on an uncharted jungle planet, a nod to the Transformers: Energon episode. They won't be returning so let's leave it at that.

The VOICE CAST will immediately follow so stay tuned and, go make your own soundtrack.


	28. VOICE CAST

Disclaimer: Before I get into the VOICE CAST chapter, I want to point out that I've just reached a huge milestone by reaching over 100,000 words in a single story. Unreal!

Also, it occurred to me that I've finished this little ass-kicker on Father's Day. So to all the Dad's out there, this is for you!

* * *

><p><em>(Transformers)<em>

**VOICE CAST**

_(Transformers)_

**PETER CULLEN  
>Optimus Prime<br>Add'l voices**

_(Transformers, more than meets the eye)_

**SAM WITWER  
>Rodimus Prime<strong>

_(Transformers, robots in disguise)_

**BRUCE GREENWOOD  
>Ultra Magnus<strong>

_(Autobots wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticon)_

**MICHAEL HOGAN  
>Kup<strong>

_(Transformers)_

**ZOE SALDANA  
>Arcee<strong>

_(More than meets the eye)_

**NOLAN NORTH  
>Springer<strong>  
>Add'l voices<p>

_(Robots in disguise)_

**ADAM LAZARRE-WHITE  
>Jazz<br>Add'l voices**

_(Autobots wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons)_

**JOHN MOSCHITTA JR.  
>Blur<strong>

_(instrumental solo)_

**JOSH KEATON  
>Breakaway<br>Tailgate**

_(Transformers, more than meets eye)_

**JENNIFER HALE  
>Elita One<strong>

_(Transformers, robots in disguise)_

**GREY DELISLE  
>Tempest<strong>

_(Transformers)_

**DAN GILVEZAN  
>Bumblebee<br>Hotspot**

_(Another day in a another place, could someone please tell me where the hell we are)_

**MICHAEL BEATTIE  
>Perceptor<br>Wheeljack  
>Add'l voices<strong>

_(Another night I feel it come to life, how could this go so far)_

**JIM CUMMINGS  
>Outback<br>Add'l voices**

_(The life I love is the one I lead, it gets crazy but that's fine by me)_

**CHARLIE ADLER  
>Silverbolt<br>Add'l voices**

_('Cause I don't see the day when I run all night)_

**JAMES AVERY  
>Sky Lynx<strong>

_(But I've got to say there's no other way)_

**GREGG BERGER  
>Grimlock<strong>

_('Cause I'm having the Time of My Life)_

**SCOTT McNEIL  
>Quickstrike<br>Blaster  
>Pipes<br>Add'l voices**

_(For me, that's all I need)_

**FRED TATASCIORE  
>Cliffjumper<br>Add'l voices**

_(To live the way, to live the way I please)_

**SIMON PEGG  
>Wreck-Gar<strong>

_(The life I love is the one I lead, it gets crazy but that's fine by me)_

**PATRICK STEWART  
>Primus<strong>

_('Cause I don't see the day when I run all night)_

**TROY BAKER  
>Drift<br>Metroplex  
>Add'l voices<strong>

_(But I've got to say there's no other way)_

**MARK RYAN  
>Stratosphere<br>Add'l voices**

_('Cause I'm having the Time of My Life)_

**SUMALEE MONTANO  
>Roulette<strong>

_(There's some things that I can't make right)_

**KEVIN MICHAEL RICHARDSON  
>Bulkhead<br>Add'l voices**

_(And it's been so long lord since I've been home)_

**DAVID SOBOLOV  
>Depth Charge<strong>

_(But I'm having the Time of My Life)_

**PAULINE NEWSTONE  
>Airazor<strong>

_(It's time to strap our boots on, this is a perfect day to die)_

**LIEM O'BRIAN  
>Quickswitch<strong>

_(Wipe the blood out of our eyes)_

**MARK HAMILL  
>Alpha Q<strong>

_(In this life there's no surrender, there's nothing left to do)_

**KEIFER SUTHERLAND  
>Galvatron<strong>

_(Find the strength to see this through)_

**HUGO WEAVING  
>Skyquake<strong>

_(We are the ones who will never be broken, with our final breath we'll fight to the death)_

**FRANK WELKER  
>Megatron<br>Soundwave  
>Add'l voices<strong>

_(We are Soldiers, we are Soldiers)_

**KEITH DAVID  
>Cyclonus<strong>

_(We are the ones who will not go unspoken, no we will not sleep, We are not sheep)_

**MALCOLM McDOWELL  
>Scourge<strong>

_(We are Soldiers, we are Soldiers, Yeah)_

**RON PERLMAN  
>Sixshot<strong>

_(We stand shoulder to shoulder, we stand shoulder to shoulder, we stand shoulder to shoulder)_

**CRISPEN FREEMAN  
>Barricade<strong>

_(You can't erase us, you'll just have to us)_

**ADAM BALDWIN  
>Blitzwing<strong>

_(We are the one who never be broken, with our final breath we'll fight to the death)_

**COURTENAY TAYLOR  
>Fracture<strong>

_(We are Soldiers, we are Soldiers)_

**DANNY TREJO  
>Dreadwind<br>Darkwing**

_(It's a truth in love and war, worlds collide and hearts get broken)_

**KEITH SZARABAJKA  
>Trypticon<strong>

_(I want to live like I know I'm dying, take up my cross, not be afraid)_

**ALEXIS DENISOF  
>Predaking<strong>

_(Wait, it just about to break, it's more than I can take, everything's about to Change)_

**VENUS TENZO  
>Blackarachnia<strong>

_(I feel it my veins, it's not going away, everything's about to Change)_

**STEVEN BLUM  
>Starscream<br>Add'l voices**

_(There's a War going on inside of me tonight, don't be afraid, don't afraid)_

**TOM KENNY  
>Skuxxoid<strong>

_(Wait, it's just about to break, it's more than I can take, everything's about to Change)_

**CHRISTOPHER DANIEL BARNES  
>Spike Witwicky<strong>

_(I feel in my veins, it's not going away, everything's about to Change)_

**LACEY CHABERT  
>Carly Witwicky<strong>

_(It's just about to break, it's more than I can take, everything's about to Change)_

**JOSH HUTCHERSON  
>Daniel Witwicky<strong>

_(I feel it in my veins, it's not going away)_

**YVONNE STRAHOVSKI  
>Marissa Fairborne<strong>

_(Everything's about to Change)_

**JOSH DUHAMEL  
>William Lennox<strong>

_(final guitar solo)_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

**HE SHALL RISE AGAIN…**

* * *

><p><strong>Songs<strong>

**Transformers Theme**

**performed by Meatbee**

**Time of My Life**

**Performed by 3 Doors Down**

**Soldiers**

**Performed by Otherwise**

**War of Change**

**Performed by Thousand Foot Krutch**

**TRANSFORMER: FACES OF DARKNESS**

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><p><em>((He is alone on the outskirts of Charr, with not of his brethren among him But he is not truly alone. From the shadows, the ghostly image a long dead Decepticon makes his move on lone robot. The possession of Cyclonus is quick but agonizing as he convulses before he grows still. He stands tall and declares in a raspy tone.<em>

"_We've got work to do."_

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><p>Author's Note: That's it. That's a wrap. Time to go outside and play. But thanks again for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoyed, but now is the time for me to rest up. This has been KiloWhiskeyOscar saying, Goodnight everybody!<p> 


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